(Photo courtesy of Philippine Army) MANILA - The Philippine Army (PA) on Friday announced that its Army Signal Regiment (ASR) held a communications and electronics exercise (COMMELEX) and disaster response operations (DRO) challenge aimed at enhancing its humanitarian assistance and disaster response (HADR) last March 30. In a statement, Army spokesperson, Col. Xerxes Trinidad said the exercises were held at the PA headquarters in Fort Bonifacio. "Simultaneous capability demonstration and radio communication exercises highlighted the COMMELEX which is aimed at enhancing interoperability between ASR and partner government and private sector organizations in providing ICT support to HADR operations," he added. Meanwhile, Trinidad said the DRO challenge, where the ASR Territorial signal battalions participated, focused on capability demonstration and radio communication exercises that incorporated HADR, electronic warfare, and cyber-attack scenarios. Earlier, the ASR deployed very small aperture terminals (VSAT) in the aftermath of Typhoon Odette's onslaught to facilitate the national government-led disaster response efforts in December 2021. Trinidad said ASR signal battalions such as the 3rd Signal Battalion, 4th Signal Battalion, and 8th Signal Battalion installed essential communication equipment and devices that enabled the affected populace to call for aid and transmit information regarding the situation on the ground. "The exercises-which are part of the series of activities to mark ASR's 11th founding anniversary on April 12, 2022-are in line with Army Commanding General Lt. Gen. Romeo S. Brawner Jr.'s thrust to enhance the individual skills of soldiers and unit capabilities to bolster their mission accomplishment," he added. (PNA) }