The U.S. armed forces are here in support of the annual Amphibious Landing Exercise 2012, or PHIBLEX .

Phiblex 2012 is an annual bilateral training exercise held between the armed forces of the Philippines and U.S. service members and is designed to improve interoperability, combat readiness and enhance security cooperation throughout the region.

U.S. Navy Lt. Kyu Lee and Philippine army Maj. Rex Armena, both chaplains, put the basketball game together as a bilateral community relations opportunity.

The two held the game to build camaraderie amongst troops and the local citizens.

"We want to know each other on a more personal level, not just through training," said Armena. The basketball game allowed the Marines and sailors an opportunity to talk and interact with the locals. "We got to spend time in a relaxed environment, rather than a training one," said Petty Officer 3rd Class Jason A. Gramley, a religious program specialist attached to the MEB. "We were able to build relationships with the locals."

The game also offered the opportunity for the two nations to learn more about one another.

"This is a good experience and exposure for the students and myself," said Judith Baybayan, a guidance coordinator at the school. "We were able to mingle with each other and discover our similarities and differences."

Following the game, the service members shared a little military culture with the kids by sharing their MRE's with the players. Jedhro James, a senior at the high school said he enjoyed the game and expressed his appreciation for the experience.

Armena agreed.

"We are grateful for the U.S. support and look forward to future activities with each other," said Armena.