Phl boosts defense ties with Singapore, Australia

Defense Secretary Gilberto "Gibo" Teodoro Jr. recently met with his counterparts from Singapore and Australia to reaffirm the country’s commitment to strengthening strategic defense partnerships in the region, the Department of National Defense said on Saturday.

On the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue on 30 May, Teodoro held separate meetings with Singapore Defence Minister Chan Chun Sing and Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles.

Both Teodoro and Chan underscored the importance of enhancing defense cooperation through increased training engagements.

Teodoro also emphasized the Philippines’ extensive training areas, which are well-suited for urban and airborne exercises.

He expressed interest in gaining insights from Singapore’s experience with the C-130J aircraft, particularly regarding operations, maintenance, and cost-efficiency.

Meanwhile, Chan welcomed the proposals and invited the Philippine special forces to conduct training in Singapore.

The Singaporean defense chief also expressed interest in reciprocal opportunities for Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) troops in the Philippines, as well as expanding collaboration in navigation flights, Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO), and Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Response (HADR).

During his meeting with Marles, Teodoro mentioned the growing momentum in trilateral defense engagements involving the Philippines, Australia, and the United States.

Bolstering alliance

He also conveyed President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s directive to strengthen defense relations not only with Australia but also with Japan, South Korea, and New Zealand.

For his part, Marles praised the evolving defense relationship and stressed the need to translate longstanding people-to-people connections into a strong strategic and defense partnership.

He also welcomed sustained maritime cooperation. Secretary Teodoro offered to host the second Philippines-Australia Defense Ministers’ Meeting, back-to-back with the conduct of Exercise ALON between Philippine and Australian forces.

"The bilateral engagements concluded with a shared commitment to promoting regional stability, strengthening defense cooperation, and exploring new avenues of collaboration in logistics, HADR, personnel exchanges, and capability development," the DND said.