Pacific Partnership Brings Disaster Response Training to Virac

VIRAC, CATANDUANES – Pacific Partnership 2025 has officially launched its mission in Virac, bringing international expertise and local leadership together to boost disaster response capabilities in the region.

Members of the Hawaii National Guard, Center for Excellence in Disaster Management, and Armed Forces of the Philippines are conducting intensive training with local emergency responders and civilian authorities.

The program focuses on three key areas: urban search and rescue, Incident Command System training, and disaster management workshops.

These efforts aim to enhance technical skills, strengthen coordination frameworks and support community-based disaster preparedness in Virac and the wider Catanduanes province.

“Pacific Partnership is about more than training; it’s about building lasting relationships that strengthen regional security and stability,” said Cmdr. Robert Reyes, officer in charge of the Philippines mission stop.

“Each interaction brings us closer to achieving a shared goal of a safer, more resilient Indo-Pacific,” he added.

The ICS and disaster management components are based on the U.S. National Incident Management System and customized for local conditions.

Workshops include command post simulations, interagency coordination drills, and response planning scenarios to unify civilian and military operations.

The USAR segment, led by the Hawaii National Guard and AFP, focuses on rescue operations in high-risk environments.

Training includes hands-on exercises in collapsed structure rescue, shoring, confined space navigation and rubble pile techniques.

The program will conclude with a full-scale disaster simulation to test the effectiveness of newly acquired skills.

Now in its 21st year, Pacific Partnership is the largest annual multinational humanitarian and disaster preparedness mission in the Indo-Pacific.

The mission aims to improve interoperability, regional resilience, and cooperation among host and partner nations.

It also fosters lasting ties and enhances security and stability across the Indo-Pacific region.

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