MANILA, Philippines -- Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Adm. Mike Gilday, and his wife Linda, traveled to Manila, Philippines, Feb. 21-22, to meet with military and government officials.
Their visit included a number of meetings with senior officials including U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines MaryKay Carlson, Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief of Staff Gen. Andres Centino, and Philippine Navy Flag Officer in Command Vice Adm. Toribio Adaci Jr.
These engagements highlighted the importance of the U.S.-Philippine alliance and shared commitment to maintaining a free and open Indo-Pacific.
“Our alliance with the Philippines is ironclad and indispensable, we have shared values and interests and are both committed to preserving a free and open Indo-Pacific,” said Gilday. “We will continue to build on our strong alliance and strengthen our interoperability and mutual defense posture. We remain focused on enhanced security cooperation, combined training, humanitarian assistance, and disaster relief operations.”
The visit focused on U.S. and Philippine maritime domain awareness and naval capabilities, and the importance of the U.S.-Philippine alliance to peace and stability in region.
CNO was honored with “pass and review” ceremonies and presented with medallions at both the Armed Forces of the Philippines General Headquarters and the Philippine Navy Headquarters.
The two navies operate regularly together during theater exercises like Pacific Partnership, Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC), Balikatan, and SamaSama.
Gilday’s trip to Manila was part of a regional tour that also included a visit to Australia. It was Gilday's first visit to the Philippines as CNO.