CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY — Additional United States troops arrived aboard a US Navy ship that docked at the Macabalan port over the weekend to participate in a humanitarian and disaster response training with Philippine forces.
Col. Anselmo Ty, commander of the 590th Air Base Group at Lumbia Air Base, said around 100 US troops joined the two-week training exercise with their Filipino counterparts.
Ty said the training began on March 8 and will run until March 28.
“Their presence in Cagayan de Oro is only temporary. They are here for training on humanitarian and disaster response,” Ty said.
He added that they properly coordinated the activities with the local government and concerned agencies.
The arrival of the US troops, who started trickling into Lumbia Air Base last week, stirred concern among some residents who speculated it could be related to the ongoing geopolitical tensions involving Iran and the Middle East.
However, Cagayan de Oro City Information Officer Jade Adeser assured residents that the troops will remain inside Lumbia Air Base except when participating in scheduled training scenarios.
Adeser said representatives of the Philippine Air Force had been coordinating with the local government as early as the first week of March.
