The year 2023 is a monumental year for the Philippine Navy. What started as a revolutionary independent force that was founded by the first Philippine President, President Emilio Aguinaldo on May 20, 1898,[i] grew to become the country’s naval warfare service that celebrated its 125^th anniversary last May 20, 2023. But before the celebration of its founding anniversary, the Philippine Navy was already busy with an equally important event, one that it has been preparing for since mid-2022 and that is its hosting of the 17^th ASEAN Navy Chiefs’ Meeting  (ANCM) in Manila a decade after its first hosting stint. Under the purview of the 17^th ANCM, the Philippine Navy also hosted the 2^nd ASEAN Multilateral Naval Exercise (2^nd AMNEX) with an ASEAN Fleet Review (AFR) and this was the first time that the Philippine Navy conducted this exercise dovetailed with its official hosting of the ANCM.

ANCM: Origins and Significance

While the ANCM is a familiar platform for Philippine Navy offices and officers and other government agencies that have direct participation in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) or ANCM-related initiatives, not everyone has knowledge nor has encountered or participated in meetings or activities related to the ANCM. With the Philippine Navy at the helm of this year’s ANCM, there is a need to understand its significance and how it contributes to the strengthening of relations between ASEAN navies over the years.

The ANCM is a military-to-military activity that falls under the purview of the ASEAN. Accordingly, it serves as a platform for ASEAN naval leaders to discuss and exchange ideas about steps that can be undertaken together to maintain maritime security in the Southeast Asian region.

Its origins can be traced to its formal establishment in 2001 with the Royal Thai Navy hosting the activity.[ii] During that time, it was originally known as the ASEAN Navy Interaction (ANI) and it was conducted biennially. Subsequent interactions including the 2^nd iteration hosted by the Royal Malaysian Navy in 2003, the 3^rd iteration hosted by the Republic of Singapore Navy in 2005, and the 4^th iteration hosted by the Indonesian Navy in 2010 retained the use of ANI.[iii] However, during the 5^th ANI meeting in 2011 that was hosted by the Vietnam People’s Navy,[iv] the discussion concerning its renaming to ANCM was implemented with future meetings to be conducted annually rather than biennially. Such a decision was also related to the implementation of the two-year working plan that was discussed and approved between the Chiefs of the Defense Forces of the ASEAN during the 7^th ASEAN Chief of Defense Forces Meeting in Hanoi, Vietnam in 2010.[v] To date, this activity retains its name as ‘ANCM’ with the 10 ASEAN member states hosting the meeting annually on a rotational basis.

While the ANCM’s roots can be traced to more than two decades ago, the AMNEX  was a recent concept proposed under the ambit of the ANCM. It was coined by the Royal Thai Navy during the 8^th ANCM in 2014 and was officially adopted during the 9^th ANCM in the following year. The inaugural exercise was hosted by the RTN in 2017 and the Philippine Navy participated in it by sending BRP Tarlac (LD601) and BRP Gregorio Del Pilar (PS15).[vi] Its second iteration was supposed to be carried out by the Vietnam People’s Navy in 2020 but was canceled due to the Covid-19 pandemic. As a result, the next hosting was carried over to the Philippine Navy and dovetailed with its hosting of the 17^th ANCM.

Conduct of the 17th ANCM and 2nd AMNEX

Anchored on the theme “Synergy at Sea: Regional Cohesion for Peace and Stability” emphasizing the role of ASEAN Navies in preserving Southeast Asia’s long peace, the 10 Chiefs of Navies and their respective delegations from all ASEAN member states gathered at The Grand Hyatt Manila from May 08 to 12 to attend a series of activities organized by the Philippine Navy under the 17^th ANCM. The roster of activities includes Social Events (e.g., Welcome Cocktails and Gala Dinner), the Maritime Security Symposium 2023 (MSS 2023), Bilateral Meetings, the Plenary Session of the 17^th ANCM, and the 2^nd AMNEX with AFR.

On the substantive part, the MSS 2023 was part of the 17^th ANCM. While the MSS annually forms part of the Philippine Navy’s anniversary Activities, this year the MSS served as the strategic scene setter of the 17^th ANCM. With the theme “ASEAN at the Forefront: Emphasizing ASEAN’s Perspective, Highlighting its Strength”, the MSS 2023 highlighted the significance of ensuring ASEAN Centrality through cooperation, and contextualized the role of ASEAN Navies amid geopolitical challenges and the rise of external players in the Southeast Asian region. It is also worth noting how Senior Usec. Carlito G. Galvez Jr., Officer-in-Charge of the Department of National Defense graced the activity as the Keynote Speaker. Further, all Chiefs’ of Navy attended the said activity together with their selected Staff Officers. After the MSS 2023, bilateral meetings were conducted on the sidelines of the 17^th ANCM.

The 17^th ANCM Plenary Session took place on May 10, 2023. The ASEAN Navies were able to cover a total of twelve (12) agenda items divided into three sessions that detail past, present, and future activities under the ANCM. It was also during this session that the approval of the ANCM Guidelines for Maritime Interaction (ANCM GMI) was finalized after its tedious crafting process. With the passing of the ANCM GMI during the 17^th ANCM, the PN has become instrumental in the development of a mechanism that may guide ASEAN Navies in promoting safety at sea and the synergy of efforts in pursuit of regional peace and stability.

After the Plenary Session, Day 2 of the bilateral meetings was held. In the evening, the Gala Dinner was hosted to celebrate the meaningful success of the 17^th ANCM as well as the continued friendship among ASEAN nations with hopes of continued partnership and cooperation.

The next day, the Chiefs’ of Navy and their selected staff departed from Grand Hyatt to attend the AFR in Subic, Zambales. The activity was participated by a total of nine ships from several ASEAN, including two from the Philippine Navy namely BRP Antonio Luna (FF151) and BRP Andres Bonifacio (PS17). Meanwhile, the BRP Davao del Sur (LD602) served as the viewing ship for the activity. While the Royal Cambodian Navy and the Lao People’s Army did not send ships to the AFR, they have instead sent observers signifying their gesture of solidarity and support for the Philippine Navy’s hosting of the said activity. Similar to MSS 2023, Senior Usec. Galvez served as the keynote speaker for the said event.

Lastly, the 2^nd AMNEX was conducted from 11 to 16 May 2023 and was divided into two phases, namely the Harbor Phase and the Sea Phase.

The Harbor phase consisted of activities that can familiarize each participating navy with one another. They were also briefed to help prepare the participating vessel and crew before navigating into open waters for the Sea Phase.

The Sea Phase was also participated by the aforementioned nine ships and centered on a notional scenario carried out to harness cooperation and interoperability between participating navies.

The Impact of the Philippine Navy’s Hosting

The Philippine Navy’s hosting of the ANCM contributes to its goal of harnessing purposive engagements and the establishment and maintenance of relations with partner navies. This endeavor is also aligned with the PN’s Active Archipelagic Strategy (AADS) whereby maritime cooperation is one of the strategic approaches. Accordingly, the Philippine Navy should maximize collaboration and cooperation with like-minded navies and partners to address both traditional and non-traditional maritime security threats. It also highlights that given the dynamics of the maritime environment and its geopolitical implications, cooperation among navies is paramount.

The ANCM is an important platform that allows ASEAN navies to discuss developments in the region’s maritime security landscape as well as craft initiatives that promote cohesion among navies.  As a platform of collaboration, ANCM also allows ASEAN Navies to synergize efforts centered on practical cooperation such as naval exercises, training exchanges, information sharing, and mutually beneficial dialogues – all of which contribute to the deepening of trust and partnerships between navies of the Southeast Asian region which is certainly crucial in today’s less benign strategic environment.

Regional-led mechanisms such as the ANCM are also important avenues to highlight shared maritime interests as well as common maritime security priorities. The Philippine Navy’s hosting of the 17^th ANCM shows that the PN is a significant player and contributor to the ASEAN region’s peace and stability. It contributed to the improvement of ASEAN  regional affairs, with the Philippine Navy actively participating in ensuring regional cohesiveness and interoperability among navies.

About the Author

        Altamira Reyes is a Defense Research Analyst at the Office of Naval Strategic Studies and Strategy Management (ONSSSM), Philippine Navy. She is currently taking a Master’s Degree at The Asian Center, University of the Philippines Diliman, majoring in Asian Studies and specializing in Northeast Asia (Japan). Her research interests are Japan Studies, Japan and Philippine Relations, Defense and Security in the Indo-Pacific, and Non-traditional Security Issues.

Sources

1. Jarius Bondoc, “Our Navy’s Dramatic Birth 125 Years Ago,” Philstar.com, accessed June 5, 2023, https://www.philstar.com/opinion/2023/05/26/2269139/our-navys-dramatic-birth-125-years-ago.
2. “MINDEF_20180804001_1.Pdf,” accessed February 8, 2023, https://www.nas.gov.sg/archivesonline/data/pdfdoc/MINDEF_20180804002/MINDEF_20180804001_1.pdf.
3. “Asean Navy Chief Meeting 2023 – Philippine Navy,” accessed February 8, 2023, https://ancm2023.navy.mil.ph/about.php.
4. “MINDEF_20180804001_1.Pdf.”
5. “Asean Navy Chief Meeting 2023 – Philippine Navy.”
6. “PH Navy Ships in Thailand for ASEAN Naval Exercise | Philippine News Agency,” accessed June 5, 2023, https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1015769.