New Delhi [India], September 21 (ANI): Indian Naval Ships Sahyadri and Kulish arrived at Subic Bay in the Philippines on Sunday to participate in the ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting (ADMM)-Plus Joint Cooperation Activity (JCA), as part of the Indian Navy's operational deployment, as per an official press release.

As per the release, the ADMM-Plus JCA brings together maritime forces from ASEAN member states and eight Plus countries for professional and operational engagements aimed at enhancing interoperability, fostering mutual understanding and strengthening cooperation in the maritime domain.

The participation of the Indian Naval Ships in the ADMM-Plus JCA is in consonance with the Government of India's Act East Policy and the vision of MAHASAGAR, underscoring India's continued commitment to multilateral maritime cooperation and constructive engagement with regional partners.

The deployment will provide opportunities for the Indian Navy to interact with participating maritime forces through professional and operational engagements, contributing to greater understanding of shared maritime challenges.

The port call also reflects the growing maritime engagement between India and the Philippines. Building upon recent bilateral engagements and the establishment of the India-Philippines Strategic Partnership in August 2025, the deployment provides an opportunity to further strengthen professional linkages and maritime cooperation between the two countries.

Earlier, on September 15, Philippines Ambassador to India Josel F Ignacio, at the 25th anniversary celebrations of the Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA), said that India and the Philippines have witnessed a significant intensification of ties over the past decade, with the relationship elevated to a strategic partnership last year.

Addressing the valedictory session of the Silver Jubilee celebration of the Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA), Ignacio said, 'Our relationship formally, diplomatically, is 77 years old... It was really about 10 years ago that the visible intensification happened... Last year, during the state visit of my president, Prime Minister Modi and my president elevated the relationship to a strategic partnership.'

He said the Philippines now sees India as a partner of 'great mutual and strategic trust', particularly amid evolving foreign policy and security challenges.

'Part of the impetus is also the harder foreign policy issues and questions. So for the Philippines, we see now India as a partner of great mutual and strategic trust... We see a clear alignment of interests, especially for the Philippines, in the maritime space... We see India as a responsible player, a preferred security partner and a first responder, ' Ignacio said.

Highlighting India's assistance to Filipino seafarers, he said, 'We felt this firsthand when India came to the rescue of Filipino seafarers in the broader Indian Ocean amidst the uncertainties of the past two years.'

The Philippines envoy also highlighted India's role as a source of knowledge and a model for ASEAN countries.

'For ASEAN, and certainly for the Philippines, India is also a model, a source of knowledge... We see India as a valued partner,' he said. (ANI)