The Department of National Defense (DND) and the Ministry of Defence (MinDef) of Singapore has forged a partnership to enhance both countries’ disaster response cooperation.
***The*** ***Department of National Defense and Minister of Defence of Singapore sign*** ***the Arrangement Concerning Education, Training Assistance and Support Activities on Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief*** ***at the sidelines of the 20******th*** ***Shangri-La Dialogue (SLD) in Singapore on June 2, 2023. The agreement was signed by (sitting L-R) DND Assistant Secretary for Strategic Assessments and International Affairs Pablo M. Lorenzo and Brig. Gen. Kelvin Fan, deputy secretary (Policy) from MinDef, and witnessed by (standing L-R) DND O******IC Senior Undersecretary Carlito Galvez Jr. and*** ***Dr. Ng Eng Hen, Minister of Defence of Singapore******.*** ***(Photo courtesy of Department of National Defense)***
The Arrangement Concerning Education, Training Assistance and Support Activities on Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief was signed by the DND and MinDef at the sidelines of the 20th Shangri-La Dialogue (SLD) in Singapore on Friday, June 2.
The arrangement was signed by DND Assistant Secretary for Strategic Assessments and International Affairs Pablo M. Lorenzo and Brig. Gen. Kelvin Fan, deputy secretary (Policy) from MinDef.
The ceremony was witnessed by DND OIC Senior Undersecretary Carlito Galvez Jr. and Dr. Ng Eng Hen, Minister of Defence of Singapore.
“The Arrangement enables both Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) to enhance capacities on HADR in efficiently addressing impacts of natural and manmade disasters on its aftermath,” DND spokesperson Arsenio Andolong said on Friday night.
Prior to the signing, Galvez made a courtesy call on Ng and the two defense chiefs underscored the “positive momentum of bilateral defense cooperation, and exchanged views on recent security developments in the region.”
The officials also discussed “regional security developments and multilateral cooperation” through the ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting, according to a press statement from the MinDef.
Andolong stressed that the signing of the agreement was among the priorities of the Philippine government with Singapore after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. visited there in September 2022.
During the Commander-in-Chief‘s inaugural visit to Singapore last year, he witnessed the signing of key agreements on counter-terrorism and data privacy between the two countries.
As part of his visit to Singapore, Galvez also spoke at a plenary session titled "Building a Stable and Balanced Asia-Pacific" during the 20th SLD.