Pacific Partnership Finishes Philippines Mission Amidst The Typhoon Glenda(Rammasun)

By: Rahel Udasan

TACLOBAN, Philippines (NNS) -- Pacific Partnership 2014 (PP14) held its successful  closing ceremony on July 15 in a local establishment in Tacloban, Philippines which until now, bears suffering caused by Typhoon Haiyan last year.

Although the weather was less than ideal due to the presence of Typhoon Rammasun or so called typhoon Glenda in the Philippines, those who contributors and that involved in the ceremony were determined to give Pacific Partnership an appropriate closing ceremony.

Pacific Partnership's mission commander, U.S. Navy Capt. Brian Shipman, said he was amazed with the flexibility of the Tacloban residents as they continue to persevere, continue to reconstruct their houses and continue to smile even after what they have been through.  

 Among the speakers of the ceremony were the Mayor of Tacloban Alfred Romualdez, the Philippine Army's Maj. Gen. Lysander Suerte deputy chief of staff for civil-military operations and assistant division of the 8th Infantry Division, Brig. Gen. Rolando Malinao. The three speakers expressed their gratitude to all the people who were involved with this year's PP14 mission. They also voiced the meaning of continued engagements with partner nations. 

Army Lt. Col. John Cronin of Australia who is the Pacific Partnership 2014 chief of staff said in his speech, the Philippines has been the most successful and pleasurable appointment because they had been able to help the community with their medical and engineering activities and they had passed on subject mater experience with their Filipino associates.

The PP15 Philippines mission lasted  ten days where partner nations conducted medical checkups, dental checkup, provided basic medical supplies, optometry clinics, medical exchange seminars, veterinary surgical, vaccination services and engineering projects.  The ceremony also covered lectures on different topics and they even had some veterinarian technicians giving lectures on how to  prevent rabies illness as well as  preventative medicine specialist that helped promote public health.

Lt. Col. John Cronin, who is the local community and the mission's Philippine host said that he has gotten a grateful response from the residents in the said they too felt grateful working in the project.

PP14  also provided assistance in Vietnam and Cambodia, operating from the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force ship JS Kunisaki (LST 4003). Pacific Partnership is the largest annual multilateral humanitarian assistance and disaster relief preparation mission conducted in the Asia-Pacific region is now in their 9^th iteration. 

Source: navy.mil

Photo: Alfred Romualdez