THIS week, the biggest Balikatan the Philippines has staged so far gets going in Tacloban City.
The 41st Balikatan will allow the military forces of the Philippines and six other countries to try out strategies that focus on interoperability — how they can effectively function as a unified combat unit.
At least 17,000 troops are expected to join the exercises, which will last until May 8.
For decades, Balikatan was the cornerstone of the strong security partnership between the United States and the Philippines. Every year, the two allies carried out joint drills as part of their commitment under the Mutual Defense Treaty to “strengthen the fabric of peace” in the Pacific.
In recent years, the bilateral character of Balikatan has shifted as Asia-Pacific’s political landscape evolved. Increasing tensions over Taiwan and in the South China Sea have transformed the exercises into an assemblage of “like-minded” nations with a common vision for a stable, secure and peaceful region.
“This expanding participation sends a powerful message that the Philippines is not alone. Our efforts to promote peace and security are supported and shared by a growing community of allies,” Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr., the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ chief of staff, noted last year at the close of Balikatan 40, where Australia, Canada, France and Japan participated, and 16 other countries sent observers.
The Philippines and its allies have tactfully avoided mentioning any country as the reason for ramping up security partnerships, but it is clear that their efforts are meant to counter China’s aggressive moves to assert dominance in the region. Beijing has clapped back by claiming that the US has its own imperialistic ambitions in the Asia-Pacific, and was using its allies as pawns to legitimize its actions.
Japan, however, has a deeper motive for striking a security partnership with the Philippines. More than aligning with American strategic interests in the Asia-Pacific, Tokyo wants to create what political analysts described as the “first island chain” as a counterweight to growing Chinese assertiveness.
The arrangement is designed to play a key role not only in keeping Beijing in check, but in enforcing the freedom of navigation in the South China Sea, a major sea lane through which $3 trillion in trade passes annually.
The closure of the Strait of Hormuz highlighted how disruptions in shipping could trigger a global crisis. The South China Sea could become such a choke point.
Forging a security alliance is a big step for the Philippines and Japan, who were sworn enemies during the Second World War. Toward the end of that conflict, Japanese troops refused to surrender Manila to advancing American forces. The monthlong battle that followed ravaged the capital and killed as many as 100,000 civilians.
The wounds of war have long healed, hastened by the establishment of strong economic and cultural bonds.
The two countries now feel that a robust security alliance could further cement their relationship.
The initiative gained momentum in 2023, when the Philippines became the first country to benefit from an Official Security Assistance under which Tokyo will provide “equipment and supplies as well as assistance for infrastructure development to partner countries with a view to strengthening their security and deterrence capabilities.”
It gained more traction in 2025, when the Reciprocal Access Agreement went into force, the counterpart of the Visiting Forces Agreement between the US and the Philippines, and the Status of Visiting Forces Agreement between the Philippines and Australia.
Just last week, Manila and Tokyo reached a major milestone in the transformation from historical reconciliation to security cooperation.
Top Philippine and Japanese defense officials held a video teleconference meeting where they vowed to keep communication at all levels constantly open, and to conduct joint training and collaboration in a number of areas, including capacity-building.
This week, Japanese troops will be returning to Philippine soil for the first time, not as conquerors, but as participants in the 41st Balikatan.
The message is strong and clear: The Philippines and its partners are prepared to defend the rules-based international order against coercion and intimidation.