Left to right: Ms. Amelyn Julio-Obong, Office of American Affairs; Prof. Rowena Layador, Center for International Relations and Strategic Studies of FSI; Dr. Ricardo Jose, Third World Studies Center; Mr. Peter Van Praagh, Halifax International Security Forum; Ms. Maria Teresa Almojuela, Office of the Undersecretary for Policy; Col. Francis Alaurin, Office for Strategic Studies and Strategy Management; and Mr. Kritzman Caballero and Ms. Laura Gorgonia, Presidential Commission on the Visiting Forces Agreement.

Mr. Peter Van Praagh of the Halifax International Security Forum (HISF) visited the Foreign Service Institute (FSI) for a rountable discussion (RTD) on the regional security situation at the Amb. Francisco L. Benedicto Room, Carlos P. Romulo Library, on 11 March 2015.

HISF is an independent, nonpartisan, nonprofit organization founded in 2009. It is a network of international government and military officials, academic experts, authors and entrepreneurs.  HISF is best known for its annual security summit in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Mr. Van Praagh’s visit to Manila is part of his scoping exercise to learn more about the region’s security situation as well as identify possible recruits to the Halifax Canada Club, the private sector arm of the HISF.

The RTD was attended by officers and staff of the Department of Foreign Affairs, Armed Forces of the Philippines, and representatives from the academe.