Allies to improve HADR
Ileto said the visits and meetings underscore the continued partnership and collaboration between the Philippines and United States militaries.
Daily TribuneIleto said the visits and meetings underscore the continued partnership and collaboration between the Philippines and United States militaries.
The Philippines and the United States are set to further enhance their bilateral ties by boosting their military relations and improving their Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Response, or HADR, operations.
This was announced following the visit of Armed Forces of the Philippines chief of staff General Romeo Brawner Jr., US Marykay Carlson, and US Indo-Pacific Commander Admiral John Aquilino to facilities under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement between the two countries.
Specifically, the group visited the Philippine-US EDCA sites at the Lal-lo Airport and Naval Base Camilo Osias in Sta. Ana, Cagayan, and Basa Air Base in Pampanga on Wednesday.
AFP Public Affairs chief, Lt. Col. Enrico Gil Ileto, said Brawner, Carlson and Aquilino conducted an "extensive tour" of the completed EDCA projects at Basa Air Base, along with other high-ranking AFP and US armed forces officers.
"The tour also provided an opportunity for the senior military officials to gain firsthand knowledge of the bases' potential for the development of key facilities to support HADR operations and modernization priorities of the AFP," Ileto said in a statement.
On 14 September, the Philippines and US delegations will attend the Mutual Defense Board-Security Engagement Board meeting at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City.
Ileto said the visits and meetings "underscore the continued partnership and collaboration between the Philippines and the United States militaries in enhancing their national defense capabilities, as well as their shared commitment to regional security and disaster response efforts."
He said that Brawner's and Aquilino's visits to EDCA sites "signifies the commitment of both the AFP and US armed forces to further strengthen their mutual cooperation."
This also ensures that both militaries are "prepared and well-equipped to respond to evolving security challenges and humanitarian crises," he added.
"The AFP looks forward to sharing insights from this visit and the MDB-SEB meeting, which together contribute to the enduring partnership between the two nations," Ileto said.
