DND Undersecretary for Strategic Assessment and Planning Ignacio Madriaga and Undersecretary for Administration Gavin Edjawan welcomed the newly-designated Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense (DASD) for South and Southeast Asia, Ms. Laura Updegrove and other key officials from the US Department of Defense (DoD).
This is the first visit to the Philippines of DASD Updegrove upon assuming her position. Aside from the visit serving as her introductory engagement with DND officials, it also provided an opportunity to discuss the current progress of the Philippines-US defense alliance as well as exchange views on the recent developments in the West Philippine Sea and the wider South China Sea.
Undersecretary Madriaga underscored the importance of working closely with allies and like-minded partners in pursuing a collective approach of upholding the rules-based international order over the Indo-Pacific region. He welcomed the continous conduct of the maritime cooperative activities (MCAs), both bilaterally between the Philippines and the US and multilaterally with other partners, with the latest multilateral MCA held last September 27, 2024.
Reaffirming the ironclad alliance between the Philippines and the United States, both sides explored ways in meeting the bilateral defense priorities based on the outcomes of the 4th Two-Plus-Two Ministerial Dialogue last July 2024.
The two officials discussed the implementation of the Philippines-Security Assistance Roadmap (P-SSAR) to address much-needed capability upgrade of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), as well as the conclusion of the General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA) by the end of the year, with the view of enabling real-time exchange of classified intelligence and information.
Defense officials of the Philippines and the US are set to meet again during the ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM)-Plus in Vientiane, Lao People’s Democratic Republic (PDR) in November 2024.
