Ten members of the Japan Air Self Defense Force and seven from the Philippine Air Force joined the first bilateral training on Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Response (HADR) which started on Monday.

Lt. Col. Maynard Mariano, Philippine Air Forces (PAF) spokesman, said "the JASDF participants arrived in the Philippines last 21 June 2021."

Mariano said the training began on July 5 after the JASDF members completed the 14-day quarantine in the Philippines.

He said the bilateral training will be at Clark Air Base, Mabalacat City, Pampanga and in the airspace including above the Col. Ernesto Rabina Air Base in Capas, Tarlac, until July 7 but the JSADF members will be in the country until July 8.

Mariano said the training will include "flight training with simulated airdrop and load or offload training" and lecture with topics related to "academics on cargo airdrop and local flight with simulated airdrop and cross-ride".

He said the training aims to "strengthen the capability and deepen the cooperation between the two Air Forces on Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Response (HADR)." Robina Asido/DMS