Philippine Army to conduct drills with Indonesia, Malaysia

THE PHILIPPINE Army is conducting two sets of separate bilateral military drills this month with Indonesia and Malaysia, in a bid to enhance the interoperability of their militaries and develop anti-insurgency strategies.

The annual bilateral exercise between the Philippine Army and the Malaysian Army, dubbed the Training Activity Land Malaysia-Philippines (MALPHI), is scheduled from Sept. 9 to 21 at the Peacekeeping Operations Center in Camp O’Donnell in Capas, Tarlac.

“MALPHI aims to enhance the long-standing professional relationship and cooperation between the two armies,” Col. Jose C. Faustino Jr., the Philippine Army’s Assistant Chief of Staff for Training and Education, said in a statement.

“These cross trainings are part of our international agreements that aim to develop and promote cooperative activities in the defense and security of our respective countries,” Mr. Faustino further said.

In the 16th Philippine-Malaysian military exercise, 76 troops of the Philippine Army and another 30 soldiers from the Malaysian Army will be participating.

Meanwhile, a contingent of the Philippine Army is also participating in the Training Activity DOLPHINE with the Indonesian army from August 24 to September 6, at the headquarters of Komando Pasukan Khusus in Bandung, the capital of Indonesia’s West Java province.

An annual bilateral training event, the Training Activity DOLPHINE, focuses on the exchange of information, techniques, tactics and procedures in the conduct of counter-insurgency operations, according to the Philippine Army.

It also involves the discussions and knowledge-sharing regarding other military operations, including humanitarian assistance and disaster response operations.

Twenty personnel from the Philippine Army’s Special Forces Regiment (Airborne) and 20 members of the Indonesian army are participating in the joint military exercise.

The commander of the 80,000-strong Philippine Army, Lt. Gen. Eduardo M. Año, said they will continue with these activities with foreign armies to enhance military relations with other countries and to have a venue to develop the capability of their troops. (BusinessWorld Online)