BAGUIO CITY (PIA) — The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the United States Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM) convened the Mutual Defense Board and Security Engagement Board (MDB-SEB) meeting at the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) in Baguio City on August 29, 2024.
The meeting was presided over by General Romeo Brawner Jr., AFP Chief of Staff, and Admiral Samuel John Paparo Jr., Commander of the USINDOPACOM.
The MDB-SEB meeting is an annual bilateral engagement between the AFP and USINDOPACOM aimed at discussing mutual defense concerns, enhancing military cooperation, and strengthening the security partnership between the Philippines and the United States.
The agenda of this year’s meeting focused on enhancing joint training exercises, defense capability building, maritime security cooperation, and other areas of shared interest.
Brawner highlighted the importance of the MDB-SEB and its significant progress during the press conference following the meeting at the PMA.
“The MDB-SEB meeting is a final meeting prior to the commencement of the activities for the succeeding year. For 2025, we are now finalizing the plans that we are going to do for the year 2025. And we host this alternately. And for this year, we are hosting it here in the Philippines and particularly here in Baguio City,” Brawner said.
This was the first time the meeting was held outside Metro Manila since the treaty was signed in 1951. Brawber said they are considering to include PMA cadets in the MDB-SEB trainings and determining the best mode for such.
If the plan pushes through, the joint exercise will expand the cadets’ experience. Admiral Paparo assured the stronger alliance of the US with the Philippines for the peace and security in the Western Pacific.
“We are living in difficult times, but the Alliance has never been stronger. And I look forward over the next year to partner with General Brawner shoulder to shoulder with the Republic of the Philippines for peace and security in the Western Pacific,” Paparo said.
He said their work is not done, but it is just beginning.
“Today’s discussions were substantive. They were creative. It was a true discussion. And now comes a time where we’ll roll up the sleeves and we’ll iterate from these discussions now. And it will be a great year and this cycle will continue. Shoulder to shoulder, we’ll work together over the next year.”
“MDB-SEB was the result of a lot of hard work by two very capable headquarters. And it really laid out the map of our activities over the next year that will result in increasingly integrated activities that will greatly benefit the Alliance,” he added.
The meeting concluded with both parties reaffirming their shared commitment to uphold a rules-based international order, maintaining freedom of navigation, and promoting regional security and stability.
The MDB-SEB continues to serve as a vital mechanism for advancing the mutual defense and security interests of the Philippines and the United States. (RMC, PIA-CAR)
