Pacific Partnership 2026 Concludes Final Mission Stop in Tacloban City, Philippines
TACLOBAN CITY, Philippines – The U.S. Navy-led humanitarian and disaster preparedness mission Pacific Partnership 2026 (PP26) concluded its final mission stop in Tacloban City and the surrounding Palo municipality in Leyte, Philippines, with a wreath-laying ceremony at MacArthur Leyte Landing Memorial National Park, Sept. 28, 2026. This year’s mission stop in the Philippines was especially notable as it marked the 75th anniversary of the U.S. and Philippines alliance, codified by the Mutual Defense Treaty.
“Intertwined by history and shared ideals, it is fitting to conclude Pacific Partnership 2026 in Tacloban City, home of our oldest mutual defense ally in the region,” said Capt. Robert Reyes, mission commander of PP26. “Throughout the Philippines mission stop and the entirety of this 22nd iteration of Pacific Partnership, like-minded allies and partners united towards the common goal of disaster preparedness: standing ready to answer when called upon, and reaffirming our shared commitment to regional stability and security.”
Beginning Sept. 21, 376 service members from the U.S. and partner nations, including Canada, Germany, Japan, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom, collaborated with their Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) counterparts to conduct over three dozen activities along four lines of effort: engineering, disaster management, host nation outreach events, and medical.
“Hosting Pacific Partnership 2026 was an honor and grateful opportunity for the 8th Infantry Division, Philippine Army,” said AFP Maj. Gen. Peter Burgonio, commander of Joint Task Force Storm. “For the AFP, our years of participation in Pacific Partnership demonstrates our goal to constantly strengthen our capability for humanitarian assistance, disaster relief, regional cooperation, capacity building and military diplomacy. This mission has given us the opportunity to do so hand-in-hand with key allies, and local partners. These last two weeks, many nations have come together to learn from one another and support each other's growth. That is partnership in action.”
While in the Philippines, the U.S. Navy Seabees, assigned to Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 5 and Amphibious Construction Battalion 1, worked alongside the AFP 546th Engineer Construction Battalion and Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) Dispatching Engineer Unit engineers on crucial educational infrastructure, including the construction of a concrete slab and the repair of an existing roof truss in a two-room schoolhouse at Lorenzo Daa Memorial School and the installation of a deep-well pump and waterline at Santa Elena Elementary School.
“The AFP and JMSDF demonstrated what true partnership looks like through their strong work ethic, seamless integration, and willingness to share knowledge,” said U.S. Navy Ensign Ryan Robertson, Philippines mission stop fly-in echelon officer in charge. “The hands-on engineering work was a great example of how working side by side and sharing expertise makes everyone stronger and better prepared for future missions.”
Personnel from the disaster management line of effort (LOE) held five engagements. The U.S. Coast Guard conducted a two-day HAZMAT subject matter expert exchange (SMEE) with local military and first responders, while the Hawai’i National Guard executed a nine-day urban search and rescue training to enhance regional disaster response. The U.S. Coast Guard, in collaboration with the Office of Civil Defense in Tacloban, conducted an Incident Command System (ICS) SMEE to advance a standardized framework for jointly managing large-scale maritime emergencies, natural disasters, and security threats. Furthermore, the Center for Excellence in Disaster Management and Humanitarian Assistance (CFE-DM) and the U.S. Coast Guard collaborated on a disaster management tabletop exercise. U.S. Army Civil Affairs conducted two civil engagements with a local women’s shelter and education staff members to enhance individual disaster preparedness for the general population and vulnerable populations like children, the elderly, and pregnant women. Lastly, U.S. Army Civil Affairs participated in community health engagements (CHE) in collaboration with the medical LOE for local participants to receive education and practice disaster preparedness methods for their local community and homes.
“The disaster management team consisted of personnel from the U.S. Coast Guard, Hawai’i National Guard, U.S. Army Civil Affairs, and the Center for Excellence in Disaster Management and Humanitarian Assistance,” said U.S. Army Capt. Julia Berry, the Philippines PP26 mission stop disaster management lead. “This team worked alongside AFP and Filipino civilian disaster management agencies during all training and community events. We all enjoyed the kindness and hospitality of our Filipino counterparts, which added to the value and strength of the relationships developed during the mission stop. As a result, training was effective in highlighting the importance of shared planning, leveraging incident command systems, and enhancing disaster preparedness and response capabilities amongst all participants. Through all of this hard work, this mission stop accomplished the goal of demonstrating strong partnership and working together to build more resilient communities.”
Host nation outreach personnel connected with local communities through 12 command religious program events and religious key leader engagements for 600 people from five different faith groups. During the stop, 11 band performances and music SMEE were held for over 3,000 people, including live radio performances reaching more than 1.5 million listeners on radio and social media in the Tacloban region. Furthermore, five non-government organization engagements were conducted for 500 administrators, houseparent trainers, students, and security personnel. Activities allowed service members, educators, students, faith leaders, and community members the opportunity to collaborate in exchanging knowledge and perspectives while fostering trust and mutual understanding between participating nations and the communities throughout Leyte.
“Music is one of the fastest ways to build trust,” said U.S. Navy Lt. Cmdr. Joel Thiesfeldt, PP26 bandmaster. “In Tacloban, we played for schools, shoppers at Robinsons mall, radio listeners, and ceremony guests, and every time, the people of Leyte met us with open arms and often joined right in. That's the heart of Pacific Partnership. The connections made here will last well beyond this year's mission.”
Ten medical LOE engagements brought together 85 U.S. and partner allies alongside Philippine healthcare professionals, students, and community organizations through CHEs in four neighborhoods. Activities include clinical exchanges, workshops, health screenings, and hands-on training across Leyte. Engagements totaled 153 clinical hours and covered a broad range of specialties, including nursing, pediatrics, dental care, rehabilitation, behavioral health, preventive medicine, and undersea medicine, while also providing health education and screenings to 6,806 host nation participants. Medical personnel also integrated into disaster management activities to simulate providing medical support during maritime and humanitarian emergencies.
“Our medical engagements in the Philippines were centered on community health engagements, bringing health services and education directly to communities at the barangay level,” said U.S. Navy Lt. Shiela Pasco, the Philippines PP26 mission stop medical lead. “By working side by side with our Filipino healthcare partners, we were able to exchange knowledge, learn from one another and connect directly with the communities we served. These engagements are about more than providing care. They are about building lasting partnerships, strengthening community resilience, and improving our ability to work together when it matters most.”
The Philippines stop marked the 14th time Pacific Partnership has visited the Philippines, and the mission’s third time in Tacloban City. PP26 ran from June 1 to Sept. 29, and concluded mission stops in Vietnam, Indonesia, Timor-Leste, Malaysia, and the Philippines, in addition to two enduring efforts in Fiji and Palau.
Now in its 22nd iteration, the Pacific Partnership series is the largest annual, multinational humanitarian assistance and disaster management preparedness mission conducted in the Indo-Pacific. Pacific Partnership works collaboratively with host and partner nations to enhance regional interoperability and disaster response capabilities, increase security and stability in the region, and foster new and enduring friendships in the Indo-Pacific.
For more information about Pacific Partnership visit https://www.facebook.com/pacificpartnership, https://www.instagram.com/pacific_partnership/ or https://www.dvidshub.net/feature/PacificPartnership
Legal Disclaimer:
EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
