Eight members of the Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) from the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Fire Department were sent to Camp Aguinaldo, Metro Manila on Tuesday to augment the forty-member Philippine contingent to help rescue efforts in Japan which was hit by a devastating magnitude-9. 0 earthquake followed by a killer tsunami, officials said.

The first batch of rescuers, according to local officials, are composed of top USAR teams from the Armed Forces of the Philippines, Metro Manila and SBMA.

The SBMA USAR team left Subic for Camp Aguinaldo -- general headquarters of the country's armed forces -- at 6 a.m. Once sent off to Japan, the first batch of rescuers will be deployed 10 days before they are replaced by the second batch if needed.

The second batch will be composed of the Olongapo City Urban Search and Rescue group, Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine Coast Guard.