Israel Ambassador to the Philippines Ilan Fluss told the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) that the Holy Land can assist it in cybersecurity as the two countries vowed to strengthen their collaboration. The Israel Embassy in the Philippines said this after Fluss made a courtesy call to Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos on March 9. In a Facebook post on March 15, the Embassy said Fluss and Abalos talked about boosting the partnership between Israel and the Philippines. "Israeli Ambassador Ilan Fluss discussed with Sec. Abalos ways to strengthen collaboration between Israel and the Philippines with its different attached agencies such as PNP (Philippine National Police), BFP (Bureau of Fire Protection), etc.," it read. "Ambassador Fluss also mentioned how Israel could assist DILG in the areas of cybersecurity, protection of women and children, agriculture and food security, and innovation and technology, among others," it furthered. Also present during the meeting were Israel's Defense Attaché Raz Shabtay and Head of Economic Mission Tomer Heyvi. President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. declared on March 13 that the Philippines now has better defenses against any attack on its cybersystems following the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA) and National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP). "That is why we are continuing to shore up our defenses when it comes to cybersecurity," Marcos said. "This is an important day because now we have made robust the defenses against any possible attack on our power systems, on any other of the elements in our everyday lives that require power, and, for that matter, that require the exchange of secure information amongst ourselves in society," he added. Under the MOU, the NGCP will provide technical assistance to the NICA, especially on energy-related security issues, that will significantly contribute to the latter's endeavors in cybersecurity.