U.S. Embassy confirms existence of Task Force Ayungin in Palawan

The United States Embassy in the Philippines confirmed the presence of American service members deployed for Washington's newly activated Task Force Ayungin in Palawan province.

In a statement on Wednesday night, the embassy said the task force enhances the existing “coordination and interoperability” between Manila and Washington by enabling American Forces to support the operations of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) in the West Philippine Sea/South China Sea.

The embassy also stressed that “this initiative aligns with multiple lines of cooperation between U.S. and Philippine forces, including the Mutual Defense Board-Security Engagement Board (MDB-SEB) process and the Bantay Dagat framework."

In addition to the U.S.-Philippines' longstanding alliance, the embassy said the task force is a commitment to both countries' shared efforts "to address regional challenges, foster stability, and promote a free and open Indo-Pacific region."

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin III earlier revealed the existence of an American military task force designed to support the Philippine operations in Ayungin Shoal, an area where Filipino troops have frequently faced Chinese aggressions.

The task force is named after the Ayungin Shoal, a feature in the West Philippine Sea where the Philippine Navy’s commissioned BRP Sierra Madre (LS57) ran aground to serve as the country’s military outpost in the area.