By Francis Wakefield
To strengthen diplomatic ties with the Philippine Army, members of the Foreign Armed Forces Attaches (FAFA) Corps paid a collective courtesy call to Army Chief Lt. Gen. Macairog S. Alberto in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City on Wednesday, November 14, 2018.
Foreign Armed Forces Attachés to the Philippines from Australia, Brunei, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Spain, United States, Vietnam Turkey and Germany were all present.
Defense attachés are military experts attached to a diplomatic mission. They are normally high-ranking military officers who work for defense and military related matters on behalf of their state with foreign governments.
Essentially, the activity was an offshoot of the assumption of Lt. Gen. Alberto last October 15 in which it is customary for all the defense attachés to render a courtesy call to the new chief.
During the call, Alberto, together with his key staff, exchanged pleasantries and engaged in discussions with the defense attaches. The event also served as a venue to get acquainted and enhance further understanding and camaraderie.
In his message, Alberto expressed his appreciation to the group. He said that diplomacy is a vital component to Landpower Maneuver Concept, not only as a means to strengthen relationship and ensure peace and stability in the region, but also as a means for everyone to work together in addressing various emerging security and non-traditional challenges.
Further, he emphasized that through continuous collaboration and security engagements, it provided the organization a global perspective and exposure to new technologies and systems, modern and sophisticated solutions to its needs and most importantly, it leads to the sharing of new skills and knowledge, thereby strengthening interoperability and friendship.
“Seeing all of you in person here today makes me feel more motivated, not only to serve my country and people as the Commanding General, but also to work with your respective countries. Through this, we strengthen each other’s capabilities so that we can better fulfill our commitment to the security of our nations,” Alberto said.
"The Philippine Army values its diplomatic ties with its military counterparts across the globe and its significance in pursuit of attaining security and stability in the region," he added.