OLONGAPO CITY, Philippines — Defense Secretary Gilberto “Gibo” Teodoro Jr. urged Southeast Asian navies on Monday to deepen inter-agency coordination and foster tighter operational bonds as the Philippines and Japan launched a multi-nation maritime security exercise in Zambales.
Speaking at the opening of the ADMM-Plus Experts’ Working Group on Maritime Security (EWG-MS) Joint Cooperative Activity and Future Leaders’ Program, Teodoro stressed the value of building early professional relationships to streamline joint operations.
“We hope that this exercise will be foundational in two things: number one, learning the procedures or getting familiar with the procedures and working together and cooperation; and secondly, develop, at an early stage, networking, trust, and cooperation amongst all the participants and your respective defense establishments and navies,” Teodoro said.
Co-hosted by Manila and Tokyo from Sept. 20 to 26, the maritime drills involve naval assets, personnel, ships, and aircraft participating in harbor and sea exercises.
The broader framework gathers all 10 ASEAN member states alongside dialogue partners Australia, India, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, Russia, and the United States. China, also an ADMM-Plus partner, did not send a delegation to the event.
Teodoro noted that closer naval integration directly enhances regional disaster response capabilities, referencing commitments from the recent ASEAN Ministerial Conference on Disaster Resilience regarding data sharing and rapid deployment.
“Our collaboration and cooperation not merely in response but in early prepositioning, working together, and in detection becomes more critical,” Teodoro said.
The Defense Secretary highlighted that maintaining open sea lines remains essential for emergency operations, while noting that regional defense efforts must adapt to non-traditional threats like climate change and critical underwater infrastructure protection.
The concurrent Future Leaders’ Program will give junior naval officers a platform to tackle issues surrounding climate resilience, maritime security, and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) under the theme, “Enhancing Maritime Security and Environmental Resilience in Response to Climate Change.”
“We are committed to sustaining the significant progress we have made in our areas of practical cooperation, strengthening our solidarity, and to defending our principles, shared principles. I look forward to receiving feedback about key observations, lessons learned, and best practices from these important engagements which will guide us in navigating our future together,” Teodoro said.
The opening ceremony was attended by Philippine Navy Flag Officer in Command Vice Adm. Jose Ma. Ambrosio Ezpeleta, co-chairs Rear Adm. Edwin Nera and retired Rear Adm. Terada Hiroyuki of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, along with members of the diplomatic corps and international naval delegates.