US-PH Balikatan exercises
Balikatan drills add to coastal hardship amid oil crisis
April 28, 2026
The government continues to expand military cooperation under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement, pursuing deeper defense alignment with the US and foreign troop presence while failing to deliver urgent economic relief. This is reinforced by initiatives such as Pax Silica, positioned as an “economic security zone” to support US-linked supply chains. Together, these reflect a broader push to integrate the Philippines into US strategic and economic interests in the Indo-Pacific.
US drawing in more countries for its militarist agenda in Southeast Asia
April 27, 2025
The US is expanding participation in the Balikatan military exercises to internationalize US military pressure on China and to dilute the growing US military presence in the region by embedding it within multilateral exercises. Balikatan has greatly expanded under the Marcos Jr administration from three participating countries in 2022 to 20 countries today. #StriveForSovereigntyAndIndependence #UpholdPeoplesRights […]
