Press Release 90-2015
Consul General Gina A. Jamoralin welcomes the Philippine delegation to the 2015 MDB- SEB led by Gen. Hernando Iriberri, AFP Chief of Staff, at the Philippine Consulate General, October 19, 2015.
Seated, Left-Right: Commodore Aaron Reconquista, Commander, Coast Guard Education & Training Center; Lt. Gen. Eduardo Año, Commanding General, Philippine Army; Consul General Gina A. Jamoralin; Gen. Hernando Iriberri, AFP Chief of Staff; Vice Admiral Caesar Taccad, Flag Officer In Command, Philippine Navy; USEC Eduardo Oban, Jr., Presidential Commission on Visiting Forces; and Lt. Gen. Jeffrey Delgado, Commanding General, Philippine Air Force.
Standing, Left- Right: Capt. Rey T. Dela Cruz, PN, AFP Liaison to USPACOM; Col. Eric Calip, Philippine DAFA to Washington DC; Ms. Rosanna Villamor-Voogel, Political Minister, Philippine Embassy, Washington DC; Brig. Gen. Jose Johriel Cenabre, Deputy Commandant, Philippine Marine Corps; Brig. Gen. Guillermo Molina, DCS for Plans, J5; and Brig. Gen. Al Perreiras, the Judge Advocate General.
(22 October 2015, Honolulu, Hawaii) The Philippine Consulate in Honolulu hosted a welcome dinner for the Philippine delegates to the recently-concluded Mutual Defense Board- Security Engagement Board (MDB-SEB) Meeting on October 19, 2015. The MDB-SEB is a series of defense and security-related meetings held each year between the Philippines and the United States. General Hernando DCA Iriberri, Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief of Staff co-chaired the meeting with Admiral Harry B. Harris, Jr., Commander, U.S. Pacific Command at Head Quarters U.S. Pacific Command, Camp Smith. Representatives of various military service branches in both the Philippines and USPACOM attended the meeting. Consul General Gina A. Jamoralin represented the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs, along with Ms. Rosanna Villamor-Voogel, Political Minister of the Philippine Embassy in Washington, D.C. and Undersecretary Eduardo Oban, Jr. of the Presidential Commission on Visiting Forces.
The MDB-SEB activities kicked off on 17 October with the arrival of the Philippine delegation composed of top-level military leaders from the Philippine Air Force, Philippine Army, Philippine Navy, Philippine Marines, Philippine Coast Guard, and Judge Advocate’s Office. Several delegates have been to Hawaii on official capacity before. Captain Ernesto Baldovino, Philippine Navy, was the Commander of the ship BRP Ramon Alcaraz that visited Honolulu in July 2013 which was welcomed warmly by the Filipino community, led by PCG Honolulu.
On October 17, the participants were treated to the Kaneohe Bay Airshow organized by the USPACOM, which featured an aerobatic performance of the famed U.S. Navy Blue Angels. On October 19, Admiral Harris hosted a Barge Tour for AFP Board officials. The day was capped with a Welcome Dinner hosted by Consul General Jamoralin at the Philippine Consulate General for the Philippine delegation.
Gen. Hernando Iriberri, AFP Chief of Staff, presents a token gift to Consul General Gina A. Jamoralin. Consul General Jamoralin in turn, gave Gen. Iriberri a souvenir gift. October 19, 2015 at the Philippine Consulate General, Honolulu.
The MDB-SEB meetings foster strong relationships between the Philippines and the U.S. military and improve their abilities to work together on mutual defense and security, which includes humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations, cyber-security and anti-terrorism. END
