Zf195. Image from the Reuters news article that Philippine e has restored the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) after meeting U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin in Manila on Thursday, 29th July 2021.Robinson Ninal/Malacanang Presidential Photographers Division/Handout via Reuters. Image of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte and U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.
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This post is about news that catch my attention about the Philippines that interest me or concern me because I live here. This is the first posting in this subcategory.
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Philippines’ Duterte fully restores key U.S. troop pact
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has restored the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) after meeting U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin in Manila on Thursday, 29th July 2021.
News article from Reuters.com, click here:
These first three images are copied from the above news article:
Zf196. Image from the Reuters news article that Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has restored the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) after meeting U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin in Manila on Thursday, 29th July 2021.Robinson Ninal/Malacanang Presidential Photographers Division/Handout via Reuters. Image of Philippine Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana and U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin
Zf197. Image from the Reuters news article that Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has restored the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) after meeting U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin in Manila on Thursday, 29th July 2021.Robinson Ninal/Malacanang Presidential Photographers Division/Handout via Reuters. U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief of Staff General Cirilito Sobejana ®.
VA was HONORED TO HOST SECRETARY OF DEFENSE LLOYD AUSTIN
The VA Manila Clinic News email presented this on the 30th July 2021, the Director of the VA Manila Outpatient Clinic wrote this::
Zf198. Secretary Austin and members of his senior leadership team toured the VA Clinic in Manila today.
It was truly my honor to welcome United States Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin to the VA Manila Outpatient Clinic today. Secretary Austin and members of his senior leadership team toured the Clinic today and had an opportunity to speak to Veterans attending clinic appointments and receiving their COVID-19 vaccines. Secretary Austin visited the Philippines for the first time as Defense Secretary to reaffirm the strong and enduring U.S.-Philippine alliance as the two sides celebrate 75 years of diplomatic relations and the 70th anniversary of the Mutual Defense Treaty. During his Southeast Asian trip, he also visited Singapore and Vietnam.
VA partnered with the Department of Defense to assist with transporting our last shipment of Johnson and Johnson vaccine to the Philippines, and I was very glad to personally express my gratitude to DOD for their support. VA Manila also relies heavily on the Military Postal System to receive regular shipments of medical supplies and medications from our vendors in the United States through our Fleet Post Office box. It was nice to share a bit of our operational history and about VA’s only overseas healthcare facility.
The visit was very successful, and he mentioned that he would take the feedback he received from Veterans to VA Secretary McDonough when he returns to the US at the conclusion of his trip.
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A U.S. Coast Guard ship in the Philippines, 31 Aug. 2021.
Yesterday, the 3rd Sep. I read in the Philippine Star news paper that the USCG Cutter Munro WMSL-755 operated with Philippine Coast Guard ships in a joint maritime exercise in the waters off Subic Bay.
Zf262. A 7th Fleet picture of Philippine and U.S. Coast Guard men in discussion on the USCG Ship Munro 31 Aug. 2021.
Zf263. A 7th Fleet picture of the U.S. Coast Guard men on the USCG Ship Munro saluting a Philippine Coast Guard Unit on the 31st of Aug. 2021.
I searched the www and found this headline and URL right away.
Note from Karl: In the 7th Fleet pictures above and the article below the US Authorities are using the term:”West Philippine Sea”.
NEWS | Sept. 1, 2021
U.S. Coast Guard concludes training with Philippine maritime agencies
By Courtesy Story from U.S. Coast Guard Public Affairs
ALAMEDA, Calif. –
The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Munro (WMSL 755) arrived in Subic Bay, Philippines, Tuesday following operations and exercises in the West Philippine Sea with the Philippine Coast Guard and the Philippine Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources.
Further searching and I found this article from the U. S. Naval Institute:
I chose to copy these two images and a few articles from the lengthy article below:
U.S. Coast Guard Continues to Expand Presence in the Western Pacific
By: Dzirhan Mahadzir
September 3, 2021 5:14 PM
KUALA LUMPUR – The U.S. Coast Guard’s status as a military service coupled with its law enforcement roles allows it to effectively contribute to both the military and maritime law enforcement requirements of the Indo-Pacific region, according to the commander of U.S. Coast Guard units operating in the region.
As a military service of the United States, the Coast Guard can integrate seamlessly into defense operations alongside the U.S. Navy and other U.S. military services, and is fully interoperable with U.S. allies, Vice Admiral Michael McAllister, Commander Pacific Area and Commander, Coast Guard Defense Force West, said in a Sept. 3 media call.
Munro participated in at-sea engagements with the Philippines on Aug. 31 in the West Philippine Sea, where it carried out bilateral operations, professional exchanges, search-and-rescue and communications exercises, small boat operations, multi-vessel maneuvering, and maritime domain awareness drills.
McAllister downplayed the exercise location, which was near the disputed Scarborough Shoal, stating that it was not intended to send a message to China. He added that one of the elements the Coast Guard is working on is capacity and capability building for the Philippine Coast Guard and maritime enforcement agencies to conduct sustained operations in waters beyond their littorals.
“And so, I’m not going to say that activity near the Scarborough Shoals was necessarily intended to send a message; but when you think about the Philippines’ claim for their waters, that opportunity to get them out further from shore, do maritime awareness, and – when appropriate – enforce laws and treaties within their Exclusive Economic Zone, it simply requires that we get them further from shore,” McAlliser said.
He also noted the U.S. Coast Guard does cooperate with China on areas of mutual interest between the two countries, though there is not much cooperative activity in the South China Sea. But both countries continue to cooperate in the North Pacific, specifically as it relates to high seas fishing and the enforcement of various treaties and conventions for which both the U.S. and China are signatories.
Zf264. A Japanese JMSDF image of a Japanese supply ship replenishing the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Munro (WMSL 755).
Zf265. This is a Navy picture of the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Munro (WMSL 755) is conducting helicopter operation during the exercise Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC).