Remarks of U.S. Ambassador Francis J. Ricciardone
Transition Ceremony Honoring U.S. Humanitarian Assistance to
Typhoon Victims in the Philippines
Villamor, Dec. 18, 2004
Magandang hapon sa inyong lahat.
President Arroyo, Secretary Cruz, General Glueck,
distinguished leaders of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, distinguished
guests. I am honored to stand with you here today to thank the Joint
Task Force of the III Marine Expeditionary Brigade for its humanitarian
assistance to the Filipino people in their hour of need, and in
cooperation with our allies, the Armed Forces of the Philippines.
Within 36 hours of receiving a request from the Philippines Government,
the U.S. military created this Joint Task Force to bring relief
to the residents of Aurora and Quezon Provinces, deploying about
922 personnel from the Third Marine Expeditionary Brigade, the USS
Ft. McHenry, the USNS Stockham, US Army civil affairs unit, and
from the United States Air Force’s 33rd Expeditionary Search
and Rescue Squadron. The humanitarian assistance operation deployed
thirteen helicopters as well as several United States Air Force
C-130s.
Working closely with our Philippine counterparts,
the Joint Task Force set up an operation to provide medium to heavy
airlift to deliver relief supplies to the affected areas. During
the mission, the Joint Task Force delivered over 225 tons –
450,000 lbs -- of food, water, clothing and medical supplies to
the victims. An eight-person combat lifesaver team provided medical
assistance to over 200 patients during a three-day period and extended
training to Philippine National Red Cross (PNRC) volunteers on emergency
medical procedures.
The United States also immediately transferred to
the Philippines Red Cross, Save the Children and other NGOs over
half a million dollars in cash through the U.S. Agency for International
Development’s (USAID) Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance
(OFDA).
From my own visits to the affected areas, I saw how
badly the tropical storms devastated Filipino families, their homes,
and their environments. I saw U.S. and Philippine soldiers working,
once again, shoulder-to-shoulder, carrying boxes of relief goods,
setting up temporary shelters and providing emergency medical care
to the people. I also saw brave, young Filipino soldiers and their
American counterparts protecting the operations against bandits
who claim to act in the name of “the people” whom they
terrorize and rob.
We say that, “You play like you practice.”
The speed, with which we were able to assemble this disaster relief
operation, and the smoothness of communications with our Philippines
teammates, resulted directly from our combined exercises throughout
the year, such as Balikatan and Talon Vision. Our joint disaster
relief operations demonstrate the value of such repeated exercises
of our teamwork throughout the year, thanks to the Visiting Forces
Agreement signed by President Estrada in 1999 and thanks, also,
to our Mutual Logistics Support Agreement signed during President
Macapagal-Arroyo’s first term in 2003. From our frequent exercises
together, when a natural catastrophe or man-made threat to our security
strikes, we know we can count on each other.
Today, as Secretary Cruz has pointed out, we mark
the transition of our joint efforts from emergency relief operations
to the rehabilitation of the affected areas. Communications are
re-established; major roads are now cleared; most of the areas have
been stabilized; and emergency aid has been distributed in sufficient
quantity to remove people from immediate danger. Now, we will continue,
mainly through the United States Agency for International Development,
to support the Government of the Philippines and Filipino NGOs,
in implementing the Government’s policies and programs to
improve governance and management of the forest and coastal resources
of your beautiful country. Madame President, we have every confidence
you will succeed, simply because you must succeed in your programs,
before you irretrievably lose your forest and fisheries to greed,
ignorance, criminality, and the pressures of an ever-expanding population.
Some short-term emergency needs remain, however. To
help ease the transition from national emergency to the sustained
rehabilitation and recovery program that must immediately ensue,
I am very pleased we are sending another one million dollars worth
of tents, generators, medical supplies, blankets and water containers
from Okinawa. These goods, some of which you see behind us, have
already begun to arrive on the C-130s that will be returning our
men and women to Okinawa. We are turning over these materials through
the President to the Philippines National Disaster Coordinating
Council to assist in your ongoing disaster relief operations.
As two peoples united by a long friendship and shared
history, we stand together in times of grief as well as joy. During
this holiday season, we pause to remember and pray for the families
in Quezon and Aurora provinces, Nueva Ecija, Bicol, Camarines and
others, and hope that our assistance has brought them a few bright
moments as they recover from these devastating storms.
Once again, I thank the Joint Task Force of the III
Marine Expeditionary Brigade for their contribution to the Philippines,
and I salute the Philippine and U.S. Armed Forces, the Philippines
Red Cross, and the National Disaster Coordinating Council, all under
the leadership of President Macapagal-Arroyo, for their service
to the Philippine people.
I wish everyone a happy holiday season and the best
of health and happiness for the New Year.
Maligayang Pasko at Manigong Bagong Ta’on.
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