Sec Gazmin to Soldiers: assist people during calamities Prepare to assist our people during calamities. As first responders we must be able to appropriately respond and help our people. This is the marching order of Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin to officers and men of the Northern Luzon Command in Camp Aquino in Tarlac 9am today July 31 as he makes his round in different camps to check the preparedness of troops in responding to disasters. The series of calamities particularly typhoons prompted the AFP to step up each Disaster Response capability. It maybe recalled that the then NOLCOM Commander are AFP Chief of Staff, Gen. Gregorio Catapang Jr. directed all military commanders in central and northern luzon to designate an area inside military camps as evacuation center. Sec. Gazmin specifically instructed line unit commanders to identify Disaster Rescue and Relief Operations (DRRO) equipment which soldiers need in order to act appropriately in time of calamities. The list will be forwarded to higher headquarters then to the Department of National Defense (DND) for procurement so that soldiers will be able to perform Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Response(HADR) promptly and appropriately. Several equipment and vehicles including aircraft and water vessels have already been recently procured in the AFP is now acquiring more DRRO equipment as part of the continuing upgrade in the capabilities of line units in HADR as well as combat operations. Some of the DRRO equipment are included in the big ticket items line up in the list procured and still to be procured under the AFP Modernization Program. Sec. Gazmin also appraised soldiers on the progress of the AFP Modernization Program particularly riffles, tanks, aircrafts and water crafts which are to be procured. LT.GEN . Felicito Virgilio Trinidad Jr., the newly minted NOLCOM Commander assured Sec. Gazmin of the readiness of troops in responding to disasters and assisting the people. “There is a dedicated unit per area in NOLCOM to assist our people. Our units are enclose coordination with our civilian counterparts for quick and appropriate response. The system is working and was tested during typhoon Glenda”, LT. GEN. Trinidad said. “Our focus is not only disaster response but preparations of our troops in collaboration with communities before the calamities strikes”, LT.GEN. Trinidad concluded.
Posted on: Thu, 31 Jul 2014 12:38:18 +0000
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