AFP, 26 other military forces to hold exercises

MANILA, Philippines - The Armed Forces of the Philippines and 26 other heads of military forces in Asia and the Pacific have agreed to conduct a series of military exercises to address traditional security threats and upgrade skill in humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.

This agreement resulted from the five-day meeting of military heads from 27 countries in South Korea from Oct. 18 to 22.

Maj. Oliver Banaria, acting information group commander of the military’s Civil Relations Service (AFPCRS) said the annual meeting was largely aimed at enhancing understanding on security conditions in the Asia-Pacific region.

He said pressing issues like civil-military cooperation in international peace activities; multinational planning augmentation team (MPAT) and international cooperation for maritime security were high on the agenda of the five-day military conference.

Armed Forces Chief Gen. Ricardo David said the AFP will continue to engage in high-level exchanges with other foreign counterparts to forge strong relations and effectively confront cross-border terrorism and other security concerns.

“For this year’s meeting, we have collectively agreed on strengthening the non-traditional military aspects such as humanitarian assistance and disaster relief. We have started the coordination not just among Southeast Asian Nations but throughout the Asia-Pacific region,” he said.

At the sidelines of the meeting in South Korea, David met with Japan’s chief of staff, Gen. Ryoichi Oriki as well as top military commanders from Papua New Guinea and Singapore.

David also joined other military leaders in visiting key South Korean industries like Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering, Hyundai, Samsung Technica, and Korea Aerospace Industries which manufactures aircraft and satellites.