'2014 Balikatan' comes at a unique time for PHL-US defense relations --DND chief

From the Philippine News Agency (May 5): '2014 Balikatan' comes at a unique time for PHL-US defense relations --DND chief

With the formal opening of the "2014 Balikatan Exercise" on Monday, Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Voltaire Gazmin said that the holding of the annual military maneuvers came at a unique time for United States and Philippines defense relations as both nations are slated to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the world-famous Leyte Landing this coming Oct. 20.

"This year’s 'Balikatan' comes at the unique context in our bilateral defense relations, for one, 2014 marks the 70th anniversary of the Leyte Landing which has since become a symbol of the deep friendship between the Filipino and the American people," the DND chief said during the opening ceremonies held at Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City.

American and other Allied forces landed in Leyte on Oct. 20, 1944. This marked the initial efforts of the U.S. to liberate the Philippines from Japanese conquest. The liberation forces were commanded by Gen. Douglas MacArthur.

During the naval phase of the Leyte Landing, a huge portion of the Imperial Japanese Navy and Air Force was destroyed, aside from gaining a beachhead for ground forces.

"As allies, Filipinos and Americans worked together to free the Philippines from the occupation by a foreign aggressor. Amazingly, 70 years later in 2013, the same spirit working together was manifested when super typhoon 'Yolanda' struck Leyte and our American friends were among the first to extend assistance to the place where then President Sergio Osmena and General MacArthur landed in 1944, being part of Palo, Leyte, one of the areas devastated by the super typhoon," Gazmin added.

"(And) another, this year’s 'Balikatan' exercises are being held after we, as, allies have just forged the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement which, as the title itself suggests, is meant to further deepen our defense cooperation. We, as allies, both recognized that the agreement would serve as enabler, making it more efficient and effective for us to conduct combined training exercises. With the agreement facilitating the construction of necessary infrastructures and making needed equipment already pre-positioned, readily available, it would now be more expedient for us to undertake exercises such as this balikatan exercise and perhaps needed combined contingency operations if necessary, although the agreement has just been signed," the DND chief pointed out.

Gazmin added that the results of this year's exercise would surely be felt in the years to come, stressing that this series of "Balikatan" exercises "is a manifestation of our alliance as evolved and managed to adjust to the changing strategic context, at a time when other security concerns such as dealing with natural disasters and other so-called non-traditional security challenges emerge as key challenges to our respective nations."

"We exercise to deal with these security concerns. Today as maritime security and maritime domain awareness have become primary considerations, I am sure that this 'Balikatan' exercises will, while building on the positive results of previous exercises, would likewise zero in towards enhancing our combined capacity to undertake humanitarian assistance and disaster response as well as to deal with maritime security and improve our maritime domain awareness," he said.

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