Admiral Harry B. Harris (left), Commander, US Pacific Command (USPACOM) with outgoing AFP Liaison Officer to the USPACOM Captain Rey dela Cruz PN (GSC).

(25 October 2017, Honolulu, Hawaii) Admiral Harry B. Harris, Jr., Commander of the US Pacific Command (USPACOM), conveyed his best wishes and deep appreciation to outgoing Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Liaison Officer to the USPACOM, Captain Rey T. Dela Cruz PN (GSC), during the farewell call of the latter on the formwr at the USPACOM Headquarters on 20 October 2017.

Capt. dela Cruz arrived in Honolulu on 1 August 2014 to assume his position as the Liaison Officer of the Philippines to the US Pacific Command, vice then Colonel Restituto Padilla, Jr., AFP. He is scheduled to depart for Manila on 31 October 2017.

During his three-year term, Capt. dela Cruz oversaw, coordinated and assisted activities and projects which are aimed at furthering Philippines-US security relations and people-to-people exchanges, which include the following: bilateral meetings such as the annual Mutual Defense Board-Security Engagement Board (MDB-SEB) meetings; Balikatan Concept Development Conferences; courtesy calls on Admiral Harris by Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana and former Foreign Affairs Secretary Perfecto Yasay Jr.; visits of high level Philippine military officials including AFP Chiefs of Staff General Hernando Iriberri and General Eduardo Año; transit and reception at  Honolulu of warships BRP Gregorio Velasquez  and BRP Andres Bonifacio (FF17) and two PAF C-130T aircraft, Major Services and PACOM Components Staff Talks; INTELEXES and SMEEs; annual AFP Command and General Staff College (CGSC) Foreign Academic Visits, annual commemoration events such as the Philippine Day of Valor (Araw ng Kagitingan), US Memorial Day and Veterans’ Day; engagement with the Hawaii National Guard, support to Philippine participants to several Daniel K. Inouye-Asia Pacific Center for Security Studies (DKI-APCSS) courses, seminars, and workshops  among others.

During the call, Admiral Harris also took the opportunity to welcome Capt. dela Cruz's successor, Colonel Joseph Archog, who arrived in Honolulu on 7 October 2017. (END).