PH, US set to hold over 500 military activities in 2026

More than 500 bilateral engagements, such as military training, will be conducted by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and United States Indo-Pacific Command (Indopacom) in 2026.

- By MARTIN SADONGDONG

This was disclosed by Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief General Romeo Brawner Jr. on Tuesday, Aug. 19.

Brawner and Admiral Samuel J. Paparo, commander of the US Indopacom, at Camp Smith met in Hawaii earlier this month for the annual Mutual Defense Board-Security Engagement Board (MDB-SEB) meeting.

The MDB-SEB is a bilateral mechanism between AFP and the US Armed Forces that oversees defense and security cooperation under the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT), including bilateral planning and training between the allied forces.

“During the visit, Paparo and Brawner signed the annual 8-Star memo and activities list, approving guidance and plans for continued collaboration, including Exercise Balikatan 2026, in the coming year. The co-chairs approved more than 500 joint engagements, ranging from large-scale exercises to smaller subject matter expert exchanges,” a statement from the US Indopacom read.