Philippines and U.S. navy officers held a ceremony in Manila on Monday (October 3) to officially open their two-week annual joint maritime exercises.
Named “KAMANDAG”, the sixth iteration of the joint exercises aimed to enhance bilateral cooperation and interoperability between the two nations, Philippine Navy Acting Flag Officer in Command Caesar Valencia said at the ceremony.
About 530 Filipino and 2,550 U.S. marines are expected to participate in various drills, which include humanitarian assistance, live fire exercises and amphibious landing operations in various locations in the Philippines from October 3 to 14, according to the Philippine Navy.
