Officers of the Unites States Navy’s Pacific Partnership is laying the groundwork for a proposed workshop focused on strengthening Catanduanes’ disaster preparedness and response capability.
In a courtesy call last Dec. 10, 2024 on Governor Joseph C. Cua, who was represented by Vice Governor Peter C. Cua, the USN officials discussed the workshop’s objectives to identify the key focus areas and determine the most effective course of action for the proposal to move forward.
In response, Vice Gov. Cua assured that the provincial leadership would provide full support for the initiative.
The USN officers were accompanied by some officials of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) and uniformed personnel assigned in the province.
In a separate call on Virac Mayor Samuel V. Laynes, the team disclosed that aside from its planned workshop-trainings, it is proposing to construct a school building somewhere in the Dugui area.
In welcoming the offer, the chief executive said it would not only help enhance the LGU’s preparedness but also give added confidence that the island would have enough capability and support to face the coming challenges.
The Pacific Partnership is the US Navy’s largest annual multinational humanitarian assistance and disaster relief mission conducted in the Indo-Pacific area in cooperation with regional governments, the military and humanitarian and non-humanitarian organizations.
Conceived in 2004 following the Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami, the mission seeks to improve the interoperability of the partners during disaster relief operations, while providing humanitarian, medical, dental, and engineering assistance to nations of the Pacific, and strengthening relationships and security ties between the nations.
The deployment is typically based around an amphibious warfare vessel or hospital ship of the USN’s Pacific Fleet.