CNO Adm. Lisa Franchetti Strengthens U.S.-Philippine Defense Ties in Manila Meeting

On July 26, Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lisa Franchetti met with Philippine Secretary of National Defense Gilberto Teodoro, Chief of Staff Armed Forces of the Philippines Gen. Romeo S. Brawner Jr., and Philippine Navy Flag Officer-in-Command Vice Adm. Toribio Adaci in Manila.

The meeting focused on the enduring alliance between the United States and the Philippines. Adm. Franchetti emphasized the U.S. commitment to bolstering defense relations with the Philippines and upholding a rules-based international order. The leaders discussed regional security and the shared dedication to ensuring freedom of navigation.

They praised the growing momentum behind the Maritime Cooperative Activity operations, which aim to enhance maritime domain awareness, develop new capabilities, and deter illegal activities near the Second Thomas Shoal and within the Philippines’ Exclusive Economic Zone.

The U.S. and Philippine Navies regularly engage in joint operations and exercises, such as Sama Sama and Balikatan. Adm. Franchetti expressed eagerness for continued multilateral exercises with the Philippine Navy and other partners, including Japan and Australia.

This meeting marked Adm. Franchetti’s first discussions with Secretary Teodoro and Gen. Brawner, and her third with Vice Adm. Adaci, following their April meeting at the Pacific Fleet Change of Command in Pearl Harbor, HI.