The Philippine Army (PA) on Monday said that its efforts will be on full throttle as its units are now conducting coordinated rescue efforts in high-risk areas after Super Typhoon ‘Uwan’ pummeled a large part of the country last Nov. 9.
‘With ‘Uwan’ packing maximum sustained winds of 185 km/h and gusts reaching 230 km/h, the Army rescuers are on full force to brave the howling winds and torrential rains to save residents from life-threatening flooding and storm surges,’ PA spokesperson Col. Louie Dema-ala said in a statement.
He added PA efforts are focused on immediate aid in northern, southern and central Luzon, building on the suspension of ongoing military drills to redirect resources toward saving lives amid widespread power outages and heavy rainfall.
With this ongoing, Dema-ala said PA chief Lt. Gen. Antonio Nafarrete and the General Staff have convened to monitor, assess and orchestrate this humanitarian assistance and disaster response (HADR) teams.
The 7th Infantry has deployed 232 military personnel and 14 military trucks across Central Luzon particularly in Aurora where Uwan has made its landfall on the evening of November 9.
Moreover, a total of 1,005 officers, enlisted personnel, Cafgu Active Auxiliary (CAA) members and reservists are on standby in Tarlac, Bulacan, Pampanga, Aurora, Nueva Ecija, Zambales and Bataan.
For its part, the 525th Combat Engineer Battalion deployed 20 highly trained rescuers to Echague, Isabela.
The team is equipped with specialized equipment and rubber boats-ready to conduct rescue, evacuation, and clearing operations at a moment’s notice.
In addition, two teams from the battalion are deployed for possible rescue operations at FTI, Taguig City.
The 5th Infantry Division has deployed a total of 492 officers, enlisted personnel, CAA members and reservists in the high-risk areas in Cagayan Valley, Cordillera Administrative Region and Ilocos Region.
Another 184 teams composed of 2,209 officers, enlisted personnel, CAA members and reservists are on standby.
In the Bicol Region, the 9th Infantry Division has deployed more than 800 soldiers, 115 CAA members and 252 reservists to conduct immediate rescue, relief and clearing efforts.
The division has also mobilized 73 military vehicles and communication equipment to aid in the HADR operations in typhoon-affected areas.