PUERTO PRINCESA CITY — US Ambassador to the Philippines, MaryKay Carlson, has underscored the crucial role of maritime cooperative activities and joint patrols in the West Philippine Sea, highlighting their far-reaching implications beyond national borders.

Carlson emphasized the strategic importance of these collaborative efforts, emphasizing their impact on regional security and stability in the broader Indo-Pacific Region during a media roundtable on Tuesday in this city.

These cooperative efforts, she pointed out, are anticipated to increase in frequency in the future.

She noted growing interest from other nations in conducting maritime cooperative activities (MCA) with the Philippines, with the United States taking a leading role in facilitating such engagements.

"We have to continue the exercise and to make sure that we can work together,. I have no doubt that there will be many maritime cooperative activities coming up on the horizon, not just bilaterally; I would also expect multilaterally. There are other countries that are very interested in cooperating with the Philippines," she added.

The West Philippine Sea (WPS), she explained, is significant not only to the country as part of its territory but also critical for international trade, serving as a vital maritime route for global commerce.

"This is essential for the Philippines because this is part of your resources, this is your territory. But, its also essential for the rest of the globe. That's why so many countries are looking to partner with the Philippines, and we count the United States as your true ally," Carlson stressed.

In relation to recent maritime events in the contested area, she commended the Philippine Coast Guard's (PCG) recent rotation and reprovision mission to the troops stationed at the BRP Sierra Madre in the Ayungin Shoal.

Despite past tensions with China, the mission unfolded without incident, signaling a favorable advancement in the region's security situation.

Nonetheless, Carlson warned against China's efforts to exert dominance over these missions, dismissing any narrative that implies China has authorized the Philippines' activities.

"For something truly to be 'uneventful', or flawless, the very fact that we're highlighting [is] that since August 5th, or early on, we saw the first most recent of what became a series of water cannoning and ramming incidents and use of acoustic sonars and such, to distract and discourage the Philippines from operating in the areas that it has the right to operate in," she said.

Reiterating the enduring alliance between the United States and the Philippines, she accentuated that cooperation in the Indo-Pacific Region is not directed against any specific country, including China.

Carlson also addressed the increasing backing for the Philippines from allied nations such as Japan, Australia, Canada, Korea, India, and European countries, all of whom express concerns regarding the provocative actions of China.

Moreover, she outlined efforts aimed at guaranteeing a free, open, and prosperous Indo-Pacific Region. These efforts were discussed during a recent conference attended by U.S. ambassadors from the INDOPACOM region, where the Philippines' advancements in safeguarding its territory and bolstering national security were lauded.

Carlson was in Puerto Princesa City to join the Philippine Space Agency and the Department of Information and Communications Technology in turning over a Satellite internet terminal to Kalayaan town in the WPS on 5 February.

While here, she also visited the Western Command and met with Vice Adm. Alberto Carlos, the Philippine Coast Guard, Palawan State University, and Rio Tuba Nickel Mining Operation in Bataraza town in Southern Palawan.