PH, US marines to hold 1st ‘KAMANDAG’ exercises

U.S. service members and Philippine Navy Seabees observe the work site the day after stormy weather during Exercise KAMANDAG at Esperanza Elementary School in Casiguran, Aurora, Philippines, Sept. 14, 2017. Bilateral exercises such as KAMANDAG increase the ability of U.S. and the Philippine forces to rapidly respond and work together during natural or man-made crises, in order to accomplish the mission, support the local population and help mitigate human suffering. (U.S. Marine Corps Photo by Sgt. Matthew J. Bragg via Pacific Marines/Facebook)

MANILA — American and Filipino marines are set to conduct the first iteration of the “Kaagapay ng mga Mandirigma ng Dagat” (KAMANDAG) exercises on October 2-11.

The maneuvers will be held in Clark and Basa air bases in Pampanga; Marines Barracks Camp Gregorio Lim in Ternate, Cavite; Crow Valley in Tarlac; Fort Magsaysay in Nueva Ecija; the Naval Education and Training Command in San Antonio, Zambales; and Aurora, Philippine Marine Corps (PMC) spokesperson Capt. Maria Rowena Dalmacio said Friday.

The KAMANDAG is a bilateral exercise that focuses on capability development on humanitarian assistance and disaster response, internal security operations and counterterrorism.

The joint military exercises will also focus on revitalizing the inter-operability of the Philippines and US militaries in post-crisis response through the conduct of disaster rehabilitation and rural development projects.

These will materialize through the engineering civic action program (ENCAP) and medical action program (MEDCAP) activities to be conducted in Northern Luzon, particularly in Casiguran, Aurora.

Local residents will benefit from the MEDCAP, while two schools in Casiguran, Aurora will benefit from the ENCAP, where engineers from the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force will also participate.