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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider PH, US Marines kick off military exercise to bolster interoperability

PH, US Marines kick off military exercise to bolster interoperability

Published Oct 14, 2025 11:36 am
Philippine Marine Corps (PMC) and United States Marine Corps (USMC) personnel unfurl the Marine Air Support Activity 2025 (MASA 25) flag during its opening ceremony at the Philippine Navy Officers’ Clubhouse, Naval Station Jose Francisco, Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City on Oct. 13, 2025. (Photo: PMC)
Philippine Marine Corps (PMC) and United States Marine Corps (USMC) personnel unfurl the Marine Air Support Activity 2025 (MASA 25) flag during its opening ceremony at the Philippine Navy Officers’ Clubhouse, Naval Station Jose Francisco, Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City on Oct. 13, 2025. (Photo: PMC)
The Philippine Marine Corps (PMC) and the United States Marine Corps (USMC) launched the Marine Air Support Activity 2025 (MASA 25) on Monday, Oct. 13, to strengthen their cooperation and enhance regional security in the Indo-Pacific.
MASA 25 is a bilateral exercise under the Mutual Defense Board–Security Engagement Board (MDB-SEB) framework. The two-week exercise will take place in Ilocos Norte, Zambales, Taguig City, Cavite, and Palawan, featuring various joint air and ground operations.
Colonel Armando B. Custodio, superintendent of the Marine Corps Force Development Center, served as the keynote speaker during the opening ceremony held at the Philippine Navy Officers’ Clubhouse, Naval Station Jose Francisco, Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City, alongside Colonel Robb McDonald, commanding officer of the US Marine Rotational Force–Southeast Asia, I Marine Expeditionary Force.
Custodio said this year’s iteration of MASA focuses on air-to-ground operational integration and coordination in complex environments, emphasizing the use of aviation assets. Participants include personnel from the PMC, USMC, Marine Reservists, Naval Air Wing, Philippine Air Force, and the Philippine Coast Guard.
Among the key activities are coastal defense/maritime strike, military free fall, helicopter underway emergency training (HUET), and a series of subject matter expert exchanges (SMEEs).
Custodio underscored that MASA 25 “represents more than a training activity.”
“It is about building the foundation for true interoperability, the ability of our forces to operate seamlessly as one cohesive unit in complex and dynamic environments”, he said.
He added that the exercise embodies the shared commitment to peace, regional stability, and collective security between the Philippines and the United States.
“It stands as a living testament to our shared commitment to peace, regional stability, and collective security. Through MASA 25, we reaffirm a decades-long alliance founded on trust, mutual respect, and a shared strategic vision, a vision of a secure, free, resilient, and open Indo-Pacific,” Custodio noted.

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Philippine Marine Corps US Marine Corps MASA 25 military exercise marines
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