Jamaine Punzalan

Article (news)

Michael Delizo

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1780467594336viber_image_2026-06-03_14-16-38-787.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left"><em>ABS-CBN News</em></span></span></span></div><div><br/></div><p>MANILA — The United States, along with dozens of other countries, committed to assist the Philippines in the event of <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/health-science/2025/10/13/possibility-of-big-one-quake-increases-as-2058-approaches-phivolcs-1130">“The Big One”</a> in Metro Manila as the two allies held a workshop on Thursday focused on joint crisis action planning, humanitarian operations, and interoperability, dubbed the Tempest Express Exercise.</p><p>The event, scheduled from June 3 to 11 at a hotel in Pasay City, is the latest iteration in a continuing series of multilateral engagements in the Asia-Pacific region designed to promote regional peace and security and enhance the multinational capabilities and capacity of nations participating in the Multinational Planning Augmentation Team (MPAT).</p><p>Formed in 2000, MPAT is an informal agreement among the Chiefs of Defense of at least 31 countries, including the Philippines, the United States, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, the United Kingdom, France, Canada, Germany, and New Zealand, among others.</p><p>“[These] countries take this responsibility to assist partners very seriously and that’s why we are here,” Joe Althouse, director of the Exercise Control Group of the US Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM), told reporters in a chance interview on the sidelines of the opening ceremony.</p><p>“The one primary goal of the MPAT program is to develop a multinational cadre, group of military planners so that in the event of a calamity, they can drop in quickly, all understanding the standard operating procedures, something in common. So, the learning curve is very short. If they know one another, they know the procedures, they all start from the same place,” he continued.</p><p>“The Big One” refers to the possible magnitude 7.2 earthquake that could strike Metro Manila and nearby provinces in case of a major movement along the West Valley Fault.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/health-science/2025/10/13/possibility-of-big-one-quake-increases-as-2058-approaches-phivolcs-1130">Possibility of &#x27;Big One&#x27; quake in Metro Manila increases as 2058 approaches — Phivolcs </a></div><p>Activities during the workshop consist of academic discussions and practical applications related to multinational military missions and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) planning. Participants will work in groups based on real-life disaster events and will be required to develop multinational solutions to assigned HADR scenarios.</p><p>“This exercise provides us with the opportunity to test our plans, identify gaps, improve coordination, and strengthen our collective ability to protect lives and mitigate suffering,”</p><p>Col. Clark Dalumbar, director of the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ Exercise Control Group, said in his speech, noting that the Philippines is highly vulnerable to natural hazards and that combined efforts in preparedness and response are necessary.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/4/9/entire-luzon-must-prepare-for-the-big-one-says-ocd-1713">Entire Luzon must prepare for the &#x27;Big One&#x27;, says OCD </a><br/><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/nation/metro-manila/v2/06/22/16/how-metro-manila-prepares-for-the-big-one">How Metro Manila prepares for &#x27;The Big One&#x27; </a><br/><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/world/2024/4/4/taiwan-quake-everything-you-need-to-know-about-earthquakes-952">Everything you need to know about earthquakes </a> </div><div><br/></div><div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/jFv7Ezd70xc?&amp;t=1s&amp;pp=0gcJCSgLAYcqIYzv&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/s0xq7F54h5g?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div>

<p>The United States, along with dozens of other countries, committed to assist the Philippines in the event of “The Big One” in Metro Manila as the two allies held a workshop on Thursday focused on joint crisis action planning, humanitarian operations, and interoperability. </p>

The United States, along with dozens of other countries, committed to assist the Philippines in the event of “The Big One” in Metro Manila as the two allies held a workshop on Thursday focused on joint crisis action planning, humanitarian operations, and interoperability.

US, allies hold exercise in Manila in preparation for ‘The Big One’

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US, allies hold exercise in Manila in preparation for ‘The Big One’

Michael Delizo,

ABS-CBN News

Published June 03, 2026 02:22 PM PHT

|

Updated June 03, 2026 02:23 PM PHT

Read More:

US Indo-Pacific

AFP

Tempest Express Exercise

earthquake

The Big One

humanitarian assistance

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