MALPHI 14 concludes Sunday

From the Philippine News Agency (Sep 15): MALPHI 14 concludes Sunday

MALPHI (Malaysian-Philippines) 14, the two-week military exercise, was formally concluded at Camp O' Donnell, Capas, Tarlac Sunday.

The activity has rekindled the long-standing friendly relations between the Philippines and Malaysia.

MALPHI is an annual training activity between the armed forces of the two nation.

Closing ceremonies was done at the Philippines’ Peacekeeping Operations Center in Camp O' Donnell, Capas, Tarlac,

The two armies are represented by no less than their respective branch of service chiefs, Lt. Gen. Noel A. Coballes and his Malaysian counterpart Ge.n Datuk Raja Mohamed Affandi Bin Raja Mohamed Noor.

After two weeks of joint defense planning, was declared officially closed by Coballes who cited significant milestones achieved during the two-week battle simulation exercise and command post exercise.

The activity was capped by the removal of arm bands, yelling of battle cry, and exchanging of mementos between Coballes and Affandi who also expressed their full and unwavering support to similar exercises of the two countries in the future.

“The overarching goal of Land MALPHI Exercise is to provide the venue where both the armies of the Philippines and Malaysia can work and operate together in a simulated conventional environment to address the various defense and security challenges confronting our respective countries. This is the fundamental objective of our bilateral relationship where both our forces are more effective in addressing traditional and non-traditional security concerns jointly, rather than by our individual states,” Coballes said.

In this year’s exercise, a total of 70 and 40 officers and personnel from the Philippine Army and Malaysian Army are respectively involved in the command post and battle simulation exercise.

Given the scenario of a conventional war, this year’s Land MALPHI Exercise adopts a conventional operational setting that is centered on the Malaysian forces coming in aid of the Philippine forces to defend the country’s territory from a notional invading force.

The planners included operations on humanitarian assistance and disaster response aimed at extending assistance to civil authorities in the effective and unhampered discharge of functions, and the management of internally displaced persons and non-combatants that were affected by the armed conflict.

MALPHI’s technical working group had aptly chosen the motto in this year’s Exercise, “In unity, there is strength” which provided both armies the vigor and inspiration to the continuously explore other areas of cooperation where both armies can work together in the future.

Both armies were similarly aware that annual exercises like this seek to enhance the long-standing professional relationship and cooperation between them.

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