The Department of National Defense (DND) and the Hawaii National Guard on Tuesday reaffirmed their long-standing defense partnership following the meeting of their two ranking officials.

In a statement on Wednesday, the DND said Defense Undersecretary Pablo Lorenzo and Hawaii National Guard Adjutant General Maj. Gen. Stephen Logan reaffirmed during the meeting the enduring Philippines—US partnership through the State Partnership Program.

“Undersecretary Lorenzo conveyed appreciation for the 25-year collaboration between the Hawaii National Guard and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), emphasizing its critical role in strengthening interoperability, humanitarian assistance and disaster response, and security operations,” it said.

Lorenzo, who is Undersecretary for Civil, Veterans, and Reserve Affairs, discussed the DND’s continuing efforts to harmonize and professionalize the AFP Reserve Force, aligning it with the country’s evolving security landscape.

Logan, meanwhile, expressed the Hawaii National Guard’s full support in the DND’s endeavor, citing their extensive experience in mobilizing reserve components during both military contingencies and disaster response operations.

“Recognizing the shared challenges of their archipelagic geographies, both parties expressed interest in further enhancing cooperation in disaster preparedness and response, leveraging each other’s resources and expertise to build more resilient communities,” the DND said.

The meeting, which was held at the DND headquarters in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City, ended with a shared commitment to broaden future engagements and explore new opportunities for collaboration on Reserve Force professionalization. (PNA)