BY LEANDER C. DOMINGO
PALAWAN (August 18)—The United States Embassy Civil Affairs Team (CAT) donated P1.6 million ($30,000) in tents and medical supplies to support local humanitarian assistance and disaster relief preparedness in Palawan province.
The embassy said the assistance was turned over to the Palawan provincial government during a ceremony in Puerto Princesa City on Aug. 12, 2022, attended by Palawan Gov. Dennis Socrates and US Embassy Acting Public Affairs Officer Nina Lewis.
The embassy said members of the Philippine Coast Guard and US sailors from the hospital ship USNS Mercy (T-AH 19) aided the delivery of the tents and supplies.
Since July 27, 2022, the USNS Mercy has been docked in the Philippines to participate in Pacific Partnership 2022, the largest annual multilateral humanitarian assistance and disaster preparedness exercise conducted in the Indo-Pacific.
“The supplies we received will surely be of great help to our continued disaster readiness efforts. We are beyond grateful for this donation,” Socrates said.
US Army Capt. Arthur Kim said the local government of Palawan, the Philippine Coast Guard and the Armed Forces of the Philippines have been reliable partners in ensuring that our activities and projects are well-coordinated and executed to their full potential.
He said members of the US Embassy CAT are properly welcomed and taken care of throughout their stay in the province.
“We continue to be impressed by the professionalism, dedication and hospitality of our Filipino partners and value any opportunity to work with them here in Palawan,” Kim said.
The embassy said CAT has a long-standing collaboration with the Palawan local government, military and coast guard on several initiatives.
It said these initiatives include educational outreach activities, first responder training, medical and dental programs, and support in the local Covid-19 response.
The embassy said the US Army CATs are a part of US efforts to build shared capabilities with partner nations around the world and constantly work to help communities in the Philippines prepare for and be more resilient to natural disasters.