MANILA, Philippines – The United States Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM) provided logistics to deliver life-saving relief items to communities affected by consecutive storms and the southwest monsoon (habagat) in Luzon, the U.S. Embassy in Manila said.
In a news release, the U.S. Embassy confirmed that the U.S. INDOPACOM deployed Marine Corps and Air Force Ospreys and Air Force MC-130Js, in support of the Philippine government’s disaster response operations.
“In coordination with the Philippines’ Office of Civil Defense (OCD), Ospreys participated in AFP-led airlift operations on July 30 and 31 to transport 600 Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) family food packs (FFPs) and emergency relief items from Clark Air Base to Basco, Batanes,” the U.S. Embassy stated.
The delivery of 5,700 more DSWD-provided family food packs will continue in the coming days, as U.S. aircraft and personnel remain ready to assist the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) in delivering more life-saving aid where it is needed the most, the U.S. Embassy mentioned.
Philippine Marines unload DSWD-provided family food packs delivered by a U.S. Air Force Osprey in Basco, Batanes, on July 30. (Photo credit: U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Brittany Russell)
“The United States stands shoulder to shoulder with our Filipino allies, especially in responding to disasters,” U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines MaryKay Carlson said.
"We are grateful to the combined relief and rescue teams who have been working tirelessly on the ground to deliver emergency assistance to affected residents,” she added.
According to the U.S. Embassy in Manila, it has been working closely with the Philippines’ National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, OCD, DSWD, and the World Food Programme (WFP) to deliver food and relief supplies to Central and Northern Luzon.
As of July 29, WFP, through approximately Php13.8 million ($250,000) in funding support from the U.S. Department of State, mobilized trucks that delivered more than 47,700 DSWD-provided FFPs in Ilocos Norte, La Union, and Pangasinan, providing emergency relief to more than 200,000 persons affected by severe flooding.
