Military exercises and defense agreements often attract the most attention in the growing relationship between Australia and the Philippines. But officials and officers from both countries say another form of cooperation may have an equally lasting impact: educating future military leaders together.
At the Australian Defence College (ADC) in Canberra, Filipino officers study alongside counterparts from Australia and dozens of other countries, building professional networks that officials believe can strengthen cooperation long after they leave the classroom.
Brigadier Lara Troy, commandant of the war college, said the value of the program extends well outside academic instruction.
“It needs to be open and shut. Sorry, so it’s those friendships, those people-to-people connections,” Troy told visiting Philippine journalists on May 27.
“As I said, so long after the students graduate, they will maintain friendships, relationships, you know, with each other,” she added.
She said those connections often continue throughout officers’ careers and become an important part of defense cooperation between countries.
Troy said Australian students also benefit from the presence of foreign officers, including those from the Philippines.
“Certainly the contribution that the Filipino students make to the course, a lot of that is about them providing their perspective,” she said.
“Often, you know, that’s where the richness comes from, is actually eliciting those views and hearing from the other cultures and nations that we have participating at the college.”
The war college is part of the ADC and offers professional military education to Australian and international officers. According to Troy, about half of the students in the Defence Strategic Studies Course are international participants.
The college currently hosts officers from about 32 countries. Troy said the diverse environment allows students to understand different viewpoints and develop what military educators call strategic empathy.
She noted that Filipino officers are among those who make significant contributions to classroom discussions, particularly on issues affecting the region.
The long-running education partnership between Australia and the Philippines has produced a substantial number of graduates. During the briefing, Australian officials disclosed that 1,936 Filipino personnel have completed Australian defense-sponsored education and training programs.
Among those currently studying in Canberra is Col. Edward Olaso of the Philippine Marines, who serves as a student in the 47-week Defence Strategic Studies Course.
Before arriving in Australia, Olaso was chief of staff of the 1st Marine Brigade in Maguindanao. He said the opportunity to study alongside officers from allied and partner countries offers benefits that cannot be replicated through formal military engagements alone.
“Maybe I could just answer on the way that the advantage of this course is, of course, what General Troy mentioned. It’s more of a firsthand experience of a people-to-people link,” Olaso said.
“And I think that is very important in strengthening our, especially if we are to interoperate in some exercises and strengthen, cooperation,” the Philippine Marines officer added.
Olaso said the course has also broadened his understanding of regional security issues.
“Yes, because the courses, the modules in our last week is more about the Australian national security environment, Indo-Pacific security environment, the South Asian environment,” he said.
“So it really broadens my horizon on those aspects,” Olaso pointed out.
The curriculum covers strategic and defense policy, planning, leadership, management, and joint warfighting concepts. Students are also exposed to security issues affecting Australia, the Indo-Pacific, and the wider international community.
For Lt. Colonel Pamela Apa of the Philippine Air Force (PAF), the experience represents both a professional milestone and an opportunity to strengthen cooperation between partner countries.
Apa is the first Filipino woman seconded to the Australian Defence Force Peace Operations Training Centre. Before her posting, she served as a United Nations military observer in South Sudan.
She said working with Australian and international colleagues has reinforced the importance of personal relationships in sustaining partnerships.
“I think this program strengthens our relationship,” Apa said.
“And as mentioned by General Troy, it’s the people-to-people experience. And I think that’s the foundation of any alliances or any partnership,” she stressed.
Her current role involves contributing to training programs for personnel preparing for United Nations peacekeeping assignments. Recent courses included participants from 11 countries.
Apa said Filipino officers bring valuable perspectives shaped by their operational experience at home and abroad.
“My experience in the Philippine operational environment back in the Philippines is one unique contribution that I think I have contributed,” she said.
“Filipinos are known to be friendly, adaptable, and hardworking. So I think we are respected to be dependable team partners and effective communicators.”
She also hopes her assignment will encourage more women to pursue leadership roles in the military and international peacekeeping operations.
The officers said one of the most valuable aspects of the Australian programs is the opportunity to interact daily with military personnel from different countries and backgrounds.
For Australia, those relationships are viewed as an investment in long-term regional cooperation.
Troy said the connections formed through education often become an enduring network of trust among military leaders who may later face common challenges in the Indo-Pacific.
“The relationships that are built, what I expect of the alumni is to maintain those relationships,” she said.
“Because the challenges that we have, we cannot do alone,” Troy emphasized.
