The Philippine Army trained with their Australian counterparts on jungle survival and combat tracking drills as part of their ongoing bilateral exercise “Kasangga” this year. 

Army spokesperson Col. Louie Dema-ala said the military drills were on the slopes of Mount Isarog, Camarines Sur earlier this week. 

During the exercise, Dema-ala said platoons composed of 47 Filipino soldiers and 50 Australian Army personnel trekked eight kilometers from Barangay Tinangis in Pili to Barangay Panicuason in Naga City in executing mocked jungle survival, tracking techniques, and patrol base operations. 

He added that the Filipino and Australian armies trained on how to source out water identified edible plants and animals, and set traps in their exercise terrains. 

“The Australian Army participants expressed appreciation for the skills learned and gained a deeper respect for the challenges Filipino soldiers face in the field,” Dema-ala noted. 

A total of 266 Filipino armies and 50 Australian armies are currently participating in the Philippine Army-Australian Army Exercise (PAAAE) “KASANGGA” 2024-2 — an inaugural combined training exercise that aims to enhance the skills and bolster the interoperability of both armies in various war-fighting functions. 

The combined exercise, scheduled from 14 October to 8 November, covers critical areas such as urban operations, close combat techniques, combat shooting, and tactical casualty care. 

Dema-ala said the soldiers also trained on explosive assault breaching, cybersecurity operations, mortar gunnery with forward observers, and Civil-Military Operations exchanges.