Phiblex15 kicks off in Puerto Princesa Monday

MANILA, Philippines – Around 4,000 troops from the United States Navy and their local counterparts will join this year’s Philippine Amphibious Landing Exercise (Phiblex15) which will begin on Monday (Sept. 29) in Puerto Princesa.

The Phiblex15, a bilateral exercise between troops from the two countries, will formally open at 10 a.m. Monday at the Naval Forces West headquarters in Puerto Princesa City.

According to 1st Lt. Jerber Anthony Belonio, the Marine Corps spokesperson, 3,000 sailors from the US Navy and 1,000 Filipino sailors and Marines will take part in the 12-day exercise.

The bilateral war games will end on October 10 in a closing ceremony at the Philippine Marine Corps headquarters in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City.

Belonio said the exercises would be held in different locations. The activity is aimed at improving interoperability of the participating forces and increasing the readiness and ability to respond to natural disasters or other regional contingencies.

From September 30 to October 2, there will be live fire exercises at Crow Valley, Capas, Tarlac, which will be followed by a boat raid exercise at Arrecife Island, Sofronio Espanola, Palawan.

From October 5 to 7, there will be a mechanized assault exercise at the Naval Education Training Center, Zambales, and combined live fire exercise in Crow Valley, Capas, Tarlac on October 7.

The exercise will include a ribbon cutting ceremony for the Engineering Civic Action Program at the Maoyon Elementary School in Puerto Princesa on October 8 and at the Beddieng Elementary School in Zambales the following day.