US, PH eye 300 military exercises in 2020

MANILA, Philippines–The Armed Forces of the Philippines and the United States are set to conduct a total of 300 joint military exercises in 2020, as part of the two countries’ mutual defense agreement in the Indo-Pacific region.

The AFP made the announcement at the conclusion of this year’s Mutual Defense Board and Security Engagement Board (MDB-SEB) at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City on Friday.

“Today, we addressed regional security challenges together as friends, allies and partners.” Adm. Philip Davidson, commander of the US Indo-Pacific Command, said in a statement.

The MDB, which started in 1958, and the SEB, which started in 2006, act as the central forum for the United States and the AFP to coordinate and plan military activities for the year ahead.

The Philippine contingent to the MDB-SEB was led by Gen. Benjamin Madrigal Jr., the AFP chief of staff.

This year’s MDB-SEB meeting firmed up plans for more than 300 security cooperation activities for 2020, an increase from 281 in 2019, according to the AFP. —MELVIN GASCON