The United States vowed to increase its maritime engagements with the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) as a sign of a strengthened foreign relations with the Philippines.
This was revealed by the PCG during the recent courtesy visit of US Department of State deputy director for foreign assistance Tracy Carson to Adm. Artemio Abu, PCG Commandant, at the Coast Guard Headquarters in Port Area, Manila.
“During the meeting, the officials discussed the expanded maritime engagements and strengthening foreign relations between the Philippines and US,” the PCG said Saturday, Oct. 15.
Carson and Abu also tackled the US and Philippines' capability engagements in planning multi-domain rapid response, light armaments; command, control, communication, and intelligence systems; and modernization and acquisition reform planning.
Abu underscored the importance of capability assistance provided by the US government to the PCG over the years.
Since 2016, a total of 265 PCG personnel have benefitted from the technical courses provided by the US government’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL).
The PCG also established the Balagtas Training Facility in Balagtas, Bulacan which is one of the US-supported Coast Guard projects in the Philippines. The training facility replicates the modern facilities of the US Coast Guard Yorktown Training Center.
“The US-sponsored training and programs emphasize our countries’ strong bond and like-mindedness in improving the PCG’s maritime law enforcement capabilities,” Abu said