PRESS RELEASE NO. 37-2022 

3 October 2022 – Consul General Emil Fernandez received leading officials of the Philippine defense and military establishment at the Philippine Consulate in Honolulu last September 28. The distinguished group was led by Senior Undersecretary Jose Faustino Jr., Officer-in-Charge of the Department of Defense, and General Bartolome Vicente Bacarro, Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

In Honolulu, OIC Faustino held bilateral talks with his American counterpart, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin III, while Gen. Bacarro led the Philippine delegation in the U.S.-Philippines Mutual Defense Board-Security Engagement Board (MDB-SEB) meeting, which was headed in the U.S. side by Adm. John Aquilino, Commander of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command.

Held at Camp H.M. Smith last September 27, the MDB-SEB ensures cooperation between the two countries will continue in support of the Mutual Defense Treaty through exercises, training, and capability building in maritime security, combatting terrorism and transnational crime, cyber security, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, and several other national security interests. The MDB and SEB, established in 1958 and 2006, respectively, form the annual framework which directs and enables defense and security cooperation between the U.S. and Philippine militaries. (END)