Senior PH, US military officials to meet in Manila 'in the coming days' —Amb. Carlson

Senior Philippine and US military officials are set to meet in Manila “in the coming days” to discuss assistance programs and large-scale exercises, US Ambassador to the Philippines MaryKay Carlson said Monday.

In her speech at the commissioning ceremony of the Philippine Navy’s patrol vessels, Carlson said the meeting is part of the annual Mutual Defense Board and Security Engagement Board (MDB-SEB) activity.

“In the coming days, senior military leaders from the US and the Philippines will meet here in Manila for the annual MDB-SE meeting to finalize our shared plans for the coming year,” she said.

She added that the meeting aims to set “a course of action through assistance programs, large-scale exercises, and hundreds of smaller exchanges between our two militaries”.

According to Carlson, these engagements will help strengthen the US-Philippine alliance, build trust and enhance interoperability for the protection of the two allied countries.

“As (United States) Vice President Kamala Harris emphasized in her meeting with [President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr.] just last week in Jakarta, American support for the US-Philippine Alliance remains ironclad,” she said.

Marcos' bilateral meeting with Harris took place at the sidelines of the ASEAN Summit in Jakarta, Indonesia last week.

The White House earlier said the meeting would build on US President Joe Biden and Harris’ bilateral meetings with Marcos in Washington in May 2023 and the Vice President’s visit to the Philippines in November 2022.

"The two leaders discussed the maritime security environment in the South China Sea, and reviewed opportunities to enhance bilateral maritime cooperation, including alongside likeminded partners," the White House said. —Joviland Rita/KBK, GMA Integrated News