The “mature” defense cooperation of the Philippines and Australia is an important factor in the Department of National Defense’s (DND) transition to external defense operations.

The DND stressed this on Friday, August 11, as Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. met recently with Australian Ambassador to the Philippines Hae Kyong Yu at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City.

“In support of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.'s guidance on transitioning the focus of the Philippine defense sector to external defense, Secretary Teodoro acknowledged the 'mature' defense cooperation between the Philippines and Australia in various bilateral and multilateral platforms,” DND spokesperson Arsenio Andolong said.

During Teodoro and Ambassador Yu’s meeting held last August 8, the defense chief tackled the flourishing security cooperation of Manila and Canberra.

Teodoro welcomed the conduct of the Philippine leg of the Indo-Pacific Endeavor (IPE), Australia's flagship regional engagement activity, and the inaugural Defense Minister's Meeting (DMM) involving the two countries.

“Both sides took stock of bilateral activities that reaffirm the deep friendship between the Philippines and Australia, and both countries' shared objectives in promoting regional peace and security,” Andolong said.

The defense engagement between the Philippines and Australia is anchored on an Enhanced Defence Cooperation Program (E-DCP) with key pillars of maritime security and counter-terrorism, military training and education, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, and gender, peace and security.

The defense engagement occurs under the provisions of the longstanding memorandum of understanding (MOU) on Defence Cooperation in 1995 and the Australia-Philippines Status of Visiting Forces Agreement (SOFA) in 2012. These mechanisms offer a comprehensive legal and operational framework for defence cooperation. 

In 2022, the DND and its Australian counterpart, the Department of Defence, concluded two additional frameworks to strengthen its cooperation: a Mutual Logistics Support Arrangement and an MOU on Defence Industry Cooperation and Logistics.

Presently,  the DND has made significant strides towards enhancing the country’s capability to defend the country and the people from external threats or outside forces under the Marcos administration.

This, after the government’s decades-long priority on internal defense operations against terrorists, communist rebels, and other local security threats.

PH-Israel ties

Meanwhile, Teodoro welcomed a proposal to establish potential areas of cooperation in the defense sector with Israel during a separate meeting with Israeli Ambassador to the Philippines Ilan Fluss last August 8.

Fluss expressed confidence in the collaborative efforts of the Philippines and Israel in further increasing defense and military engagements as he expressed Israel's interest to explore possible collaboration in space and technology, search and rescue, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR), and cyber security operations among others.

“Secretary Teodoro welcomed the proposal, which supports the Philippines' capacity building efforts and capability to address defense and security issues,” Andolong stated.

Teodoro also raised the possibility of a joint venture between both countries' defense industries in support of the Philippines' Self-Reliant Defense Posture (SRDP) program. 

The SRDP program aims to enable the country to produce its own weapons, small arms and ammunition, tactical communications equipment, basic land vehicles, and small sea craft using local materials. This would decrease the dependency of the DND and Armed Forces of the Philippines to foreign markets and help create a robust local defense sector.

“The meeting concluded with both sides looking forward to advancing defense and military relations, and working together in enhancing both countries' capabilities amid pressing security challenges,” Andolong said.