3 US Navy ships to join PHL-US war games in Palawan

(Updated 4:09 p.m.) Three United States Navy ships are expected to take part in this year's Philippine-US "Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training" (CARAT) bilateral exercises in Palawan. A report by radio dzBB's Palawan affiliate Monday said the three ships will be the counterparts of Philippine vessels taking part in the exercise, which starts Tuesday. The same radio report by radio dzBB's James Viernes said the ships have arrived in Palawan. But Lt. Noel Cadigal, spokesperson for the Naval Forces West, said the US vessels — guided missile destroyers USS Chung Hoon and USS Howard and USNS Safeguard, a diving and salvage ship — will be arriving Tuesday morning. Cadigal identified the two participating Philippine Navy ships as BRP Pangasinan and BRP Rizal, both patrol ships. In Viernes' report, Western Command chief Lt. Gen. Juancho Sabban reiterated that the bilateral exercises have nothing to do with the ongoing territorial row with China over the Spratly Islands. Sabban maintained that the CARAT exercises had been planned long ago, and should not be taken as a provocation of sorts, the dzBB report said. The Philippines and China, which had engaged in a word war of sorts following some incidents in the disputed area earlier this year, are two of six claimants to the Spratlys. The other claimants include Brunei, Vietnam, Taiwan, and Malaysia. Meanwhile, the Philippine Navy said its Naval Forces West and the US Pacific Fleet are all set for the CARAT 2011. "The activity is part of the RP-US Defense Treaty of 1951 and is being executed every year," the Navy said in a news release posted on its website. It said the main purpose of the activity is to strengthen the ties and cooperation between the two Navies by the exchange of knowledge and skills in the field of navigation and naval operations, particularly maritime defense, port security, resource protection and disaster response.
For the latest Philippine news stories and videos, visit GMANews.TV Highlights of CARAT 2011 include:

Personnel exchange between the two ships for the effective commutation of information between the PN and USN;

Friendship games; and

PN-hosted and USN-hosted reception dinners to further strengthen the relationship between the two parties involved. Civil Military Operations are also scheduled to be able to reach out to the residents of Palawan, including:

Medical and Dental Civic Action at Barangay Tagabinet;

Engineering Civic Action at Barangay Mangingisda Elementary School; and

Community Relation Activity at Tagburos Elementary School and Gregorio Oquendo Memorial Elementary School. A Community Service and Public Affairs activity is also set in the form of free music lessons at Palawan State University Laboratory High School and Palawan National School. To cap off the activity, there will be a free band concert by the Philippine Marine Corps and the US 7th Fleet Band at the Puerto Princesa City Ampitheatre and at the NCCC Mall.

Dotted red line shows vast area claimed by China. The PHL, which is claiming some islands, has begun calling the region the West Philippine Sea. GMANews.TV

Members of the US Navy are also scheduled to visit the Puerto Princesa Underground River, the city’s biggest and most popular tourist destination. "This is an opportunity for the Naval Forces West, the city of Puerto Princesa and the province of Palawan to showcase its beauty and its natural resources," Naval Forces West head Commodore Edgardo Tamayo said. "This exercise will certainly prove its worth as all aspects of naval operations are being integrated as the two navies further their interoperability," he added. Also, Tamayo said he is confident CARAT Exercise 2011 in Puerto Princesa City will be a success between the Philippine Navy and the United States Navy. — RSJ, GMA News