A LIVE simulation exercise of an attack on the Cebu International Port served to validate the capability of Philippine agencies such as the Philippine Office for Transportation Security, Cebu Ports Authority, Philippine Ports Authority and Philippine Coast Guard to respond to such incidents.

The simulation was conducted with the aid of the Australian government and came as the “culminating activity of the Philippines-Australia Port Security Capacity Building Project managed by the Australian Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government,” Australian Ambassador to the Philipines Rod Smith said. “It tested the security plan at the port and in doing so showcased the capacity of Philippine agencies which have been enhanced through the project.”

The capacity-building project, funded by the Australian Agency for International Development, was part of the A$10 million Counter-Terrorism Assistance Package to the Philippines that sought to boost the capacity of key government agencies to prevent terrorist threats. Michael Caber