MANILA -- Aside from sharing military expertise, Armed Forces of
the Philippines (AFP) chief-of-staff Lt. Gen. Carlito Galvez urged all foreign
participants in this year's "Balikatan" to enjoy the traditional
Filipino hospitality.
"On a lighter note, I encourage our foreign participants to feel
at home and join our world- renowned filipino hospitality. You will find that
our proud heritage and culture is not that far from yours.
That we all share
the same beliefs and principles of honor, service, and patriotism," he
said during Monday's opening ceremonies.
In this year's "Balikatan" exercises, around 5,000 soldiers,
marines, airmen and sailors from the AFP along with 3,000 coming the US
Marines, Navy, Air Force and Special Operations Force will be participating in
the two-week maneuvers from May 7 to 18.
Around 20 personnel from the Japan Maritime Self Defense Force and 60
from the Australian Defence Forces will also participate as observers in the
above-mentioned exercises.
"In closing, allow me to quote the former US President Bill
Clinton, 'We all do better when we work together. Our differences do matter but
our common humanity matters more,' " Galvez said.
Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana earlier said that this year's
"Balikatan" will focus on inter-operability training to address
traditional and non-traditional security concerns.
"Through this exercise, we hope to improve our counter-terrorism
capabilities in order to build safer communities and work towards the
eradication of global terror networks," the defense chief disclosed.
"We hope that through this activity we will have a stronger
teamwork while we endeavor to our common vision of developing long term
cooperation and effective inter-operability between the Philippines and the
United States and our allies," he added. (By Priam Nepomuceno/ With reports from Ericka
Cirera, OJT/PNA) Posted by Becky D. de Asis-The Redline News
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