Manila: Philippine naval and air units are currently participating in “high-impact” multilateral maritime activities with allied countries in the West Philippine Sea (WPS), enhancing their operational capabilities. “These are activities that are not commonly done by the Philippine Navy (PN) and the Philippine Air Force. This provides us the opportunity to be able to train and to engage with them,” stated Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad, the Philippine Navy spokesperson for the WPS, during an interview with reporters on Tuesday afternoon.
According to Philippines News Agency, the “high-impact activities” involve helideck transfers, boat-to-boat transfers, communication exchanges, and replenishment-at-sea exercises. Trinidad emphasized that these activities are invaluable learning experiences, enabling the Philippine forces to conduct operations alongside modern navies and air forces.
The exercises conducted in the western part of the Philippines underscore the international community’s commitment to mainta
ining free and open maritime commons in this region. Trinidad highlighted that these activities take place within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone, abide by international law, and support the 2016 arbitral tribunal ruling under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
Trinidad further noted that countries participating in these maritime activities share the Philippines’ stance on the importance of observing international law in the WPS. He mentioned that the shift to the Comprehensive Archipelagic Defense Concept (CADC) has led to increased interactions between the Philippines and its allies, with the number of multilateral maritime activities set to grow from three in 2023 to at least ten in 2024.
In February, Teodoro announced the transition to CADC, aiming to secure the entire Philippine territory and its exclusive economic zone, ensuring that present and future generations of Filipinos can benefit from its resources.