Maj. Gen. Matthew McFarlane, deputy commander of the United States Army Pacific (USARPAC), visited the Philippine Army (PA) headquarters in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City on Tuesday, March 1, to tackle plans that will enhance military cooperation between both countries.
McFarlane was hosted by Maj. Gen. Henry Dayaoen, PA vice commander, as they talked about the 10th Executive Steering Group (ESG) Meeting scheduled on Thursday, March 3.
According to the USARPAC, the ESG Meeting is an annual event aimed to provide PA and USARPAC senior leaders “a venue for mutual agreement, collaboration on near-term activities, and long-range direction for bilateral security cooperation.”
McFarlane and Dayaoen also discussed cooperation on capability development and training, particularly the upcoming “Salaknib” and “Balikatan” exercises.
Salaknib, which means shield in Ilocano, is a yearly bilateral combined exercise between the PA and US Army which aims to enhance the defense readiness of troops by developing tactical interoperability. It also seeks to showcase the US government’s resolve to fulfill its alliance obligations in the Indo-Pacific region.
Salaknib exercise will be conducted from March 5 to 24 in different parts of Central Luzon.
Meanwhile, Balikatan (shoulder-to-shoulder) exercise is an annual combined and joint exercise between the Philippines and US armies.
This year’s Balikatan, usually held every April, will be back in full scale with around 300 activities scheduled for both armies after it was suspended in 2020 and toned down in 2021 due to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.
Aside from his visit to the PA headquarters, McFarlane was also scheduled to visit the Army’s 7th Infantry Division, Artillery Regiment and the 1st Brigade Combat Team. He will also grace the opening of the Salaknib exercise on March 5.
The PA and USARPAC’s military ties is one of the most “enduring” alliances of the US Army in the Asia-Pacific, having been the cornerstone of stability in the region for more than 70 years.