32 maritime forces gather in PH for amphibious leaders' meet

Regional amphibious and maritime forces from 32 nations convened in the Philippines for the 11th iteration of the Pacific Amphibious Leaders Symposium (PALS), which kicked off on Tuesday, July 8, in Taguig City.

- By MARTIN SADONGDONG

The PALS is co-hosted for the first time by the Philippine Marine Corps (PMC) and United States Marine Corps (USMC) to “strengthen the relationship and cooperation toward common interests that promote interoperability and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.”

As this developed, the Philippine Navy (PN) revealed that China deployed 49 People's Liberation Army-Navy (PLAN), coast guard, and maritime militia vessels in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) in June, the most for this year.

According to PMC Commandant Major General Vicente Map Blanco III, the PALS 2025 serves as a platform for amphibious leaders to exchange insights and share effective strategies to strengthen multinational collaboration in addressing evolving maritime challenges.

The agenda for PALS 25 include high-level engagements, panel discussions, and senior leader briefings focusing on critical issues such as harnessing emerging technologies for littoral operations, overcoming logistical challenges during disaster relief, and the strategic use of information operations in today's maritime landscape.

Participating delegations will also showcase technology-driven solutions for maritime domain awareness, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR), as well as the role of amphibious forces in promoting multinational security cooperation.