IBA, Zambales.-The Philippine Marine Corps and the United States Marine Corps have conducted a dialogue with Zambales Governor Hermogenes Ebdane Jr. as part of the Key Leaders Engagement (KLE) activity on July 13, 2023 at Balin Sambali Hotel inside Zambales Sports Complex.
Under the Marine Aviation Support Activity 2023 (MASA-23), both US and Philippine Marines paid a courtesy call to the local government of Zambales and put into motion the distribution of relief goods to 4,691 fisherfolks in the municipalities of Botolan, Cabangan, San Antonio, San Felipe and San Narciso.
The fisherfolks were temporarily affected by a day’s activity of SINKEX Maritime Strike.
BGen Jimmy D Larida PN(M), the Director of Exercise, MASA-23 expressed his deepest gratitude to the local government of Zambales led by Gov. Ebdane for allowing the PH-US MASA 23 Exercise to take place in the province.
The military training focused on coastal defense, counter-landing, and the prosecution of maritime targets to rehearse combined emerging concepts, techniques, tactics, and procedures, and C2 structures, while developing interoperability in prosecuting maritime targets using multi-domain fires and sensors.
The Sinking Exercise plays a vital role in enhancing both PH-US capabilities in conducting aviation-supported operations necessary in the performance of the AFP’s mandate in protecting the Filipino people.
“Rest assured po, that MASA 23 is not designed to provoke, it is not designed to prepare for a particular conflict, and itong MASA 23 po ay paraan lang ng Philippine Marine Corps at United States Marine Corps to capacitate our Marines to prepare for any adversarial actions within the range of military operations,” according to Larida.
Also present during the distribution of goods were local chief executives of Botolan, San Antonio, San Felipe, and San Narciso while the Municipality of Cabangan was represented by the Vice-Mayor. DWSD representatives also took part in the distribution of relief goods.