MANILA – Top defense officials of the United States and the Philippines signed on Monday a military intelligence sharing deal, geared towards strengthening defense cooperation and inter-operability between the two countries.
The General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA) was signed by Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Gilberto Teodoro, Jr. and U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III, who is in the country for a series of bilateral and multilateral meetings.
The pact will allow the Philippines “to access higher capabilities” and “big-ticket” items from the United States.
The deal will also serve as “a framework to facilitate the exchange of classified military information” between the two countries.
“Great to be in Manila at a transformative time for the U.S.-Philippines alliance. I met with my good friend Secretary of National Defense Teodoro,” Austin stated via X.
“Together, we’re committed to deepening our alliance, strengthening regional security, and upholding our shared values in the Indo-Pacific,” Austin added.
After the signing, Teodoro and Austin attended the groundbreaking ceremony for a combined coordination center between the two armed forces.
The groundbreaking of the new Combined Coordination Center (CCC) between the U.S. Department of Defense and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) represents a significant milestone in the enduring U.S.-Philippines alliance, the U.S. Embassy shared.
According to the Embassy, the new facility is designed to enhance interoperability between the two forces through the Pacific Multidomain Training and Experimentation Capability (PMTEC), allowing AFP and U.S. forces to operate as a combined command center for strategic planning, joint operations, intelligence sharing, and rapid response coordination ensuring both nations are ready to respond to regional challenges.
“I’m honored to be at Camp Aguinaldo for the groundbreaking of the Combined Coordination Center. This center will enhance interoperability for years to come and reflects the unprecedented level of operational cooperation between the U.S. and the Philippines,” Austin posted via X.
During the ceremony, Austin also announced an additional funding of USD1 million for the Philippines’ disaster and humanitarian response after six major storms pounded the country in the last two months.
“At today’s groundbreaking, I also announced that the U.S. will provide $1 million in additional funding for the Philippines in the face of the 6th major storm in the last two months. Our military is ready to provide lifesaving assistance to help surge aid to the Philippines,” Austin mentioned.
“This new assistance will add to the $5.5M in aid already provided to the Philippines through USAID since September. We also previously helped deliver almost 100,000 pounds in assistance to impacted areas. We’ll continue to stand with the Philippines during this time,” Austin added.
This is the fourth visit of Austin to the Philippines, as announced by the Pentagon earlier.
