PHL official visits U.S. Defense Threat Reduction Agency, highlights robust partnership

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Philippine Deputy Executive Secretary Alberto Bernardo met with U.S. Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) Cooperative Threat Reduction (CTR) Director Robert S. Pope on Nov 17 to discuss current and future projects taking place in the Philippines as well as illicit shipping throughout the Philippines’ maritime territory.

Pope, joined by senior DTRA experts, met with Bernardo in person to discuss DTRA CTR initiatives such as the biological threat reduction and chemical security five-year capacity-building effort; maritime security sustainment; institutionalizing chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) defense projects; and cybersecurity, among others.

The CTR biological threat reduction and chemical security effort includes capacity-building activities to derive subject matter expertise, technical acumen, and sustainability of these programs.  Over the next five years, CTR will support activities to enhance interagency systems, communications, and other capabilities of the Philippine government to prevent, detect, track, report, respond, and secure especially dangerous pathogens and chemicals of security concern.

Deputy Executive Secretary Bernardo said, “We express our appreciation for the continuing support and assistance of the U.S. DTRA to the Philippine government.  We reaffirm the significance of the institutionalization of the measures and initiatives concerning biological threat reduction and chemical security program.  Similar to various DTRA engagements with the Philippine government, the Cooperative Threat Reduction Integrating Contract (CTRIC) project implementation will be carried out in the same manner to achieve its objectives and ensure that resources will also be used equitably based on maritime security.”

“We are proud to be a partner in maritime security and the multi-year CTRIC effort to address biological and chemical security threats.  We value our longstanding partnership with Filipino interagency partners, and look forward to continuing to work together on threat reduction efforts,” Director Pope said.

This year, the CTR Program celebrates 30 years of collaboration with foreign partners to address the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction by securing and eliminating chemical, biological, and nuclear weapons, and preventing proliferation of such weapons components, weapons-related materials, technology, and expertise.