U.S. military personnel have provided logistics support for disaster relief operations in Northern Luzon, Philippines, following recent storms and the southwest monsoon. The assistance was coordinated after a request from the Philippine government and involved collaboration with the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).
The U.S. Indo-Pacific Command deployed Marine Corps and Air Force Ospreys as well as Air Force MC-130J aircraft to deliver relief items to affected communities. According to officials, these efforts were conducted in coordination with the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) and included airlift operations on July 30 and 31 that transported 600 Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) family food packs and emergency relief supplies from Clark Air Base to Basco, Batanes.
Plans are underway to continue delivering an additional 5,700 DSWD-provided family food packs to other areas impacted by severe weather in the coming days. U.S. aircraft and personnel remain available to assist AFP with further aid deliveries.
“The United States stands shoulder to shoulder with our Filipino allies, especially in responding to disasters,” said U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines MaryKay Carlson. “We are grateful to the combined relief and rescue teams who have been working tirelessly on the ground to deliver emergency assistance to affected residents.”
The U.S. Embassy in Manila has worked closely with national agencies such as the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, OCD, DSWD, and international partners like the World Food Programme (WFP). As of July 29, WFP used funding support from the U.S. Department of State amounting to approximately Php13.8 million ($250,000) [https://www.wfp.org/news/philippines-wfp-and-government-deliver-relief-goods-flood-affected-families-northern-luzon] to mobilize trucks that delivered over 47,700 DSWD-provided food packs in Ilocos Norte, La Union, and Pangasinan. This response provided emergency relief for more than 200,000 people affected by flooding.