MANILA, 09 April 2022, (TON): Filipino and US forces on Friday concluded their largest joint military drill in the Philippines in recent years.

The two-week training exercise, involving nearly 9,000 soldiers from the northern coast of Luzon to Palawan islands, came amid rising tensions in the disputed South China Sea, a strategic waterway claimed by China almost entirely, while it is also contested by the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan and Vietnam.

The annual drill, Balikatan, which means shoulder-to-shoulder in Tagalog covered maritime security, amphibious maneuvers, live-fire training, urban and aviation operations, counterterrorism, and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.

Armed Forces of the Philippines chief Gen. Andres Centino said “this exercise effectively capacitates our armed forces as we fulfill our respective responsibilities in maintaining peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific Region.”

He added “the exercise was one of the Southeast Asian nation’s proactive measures in dealing with unprecedented and real-world challenges.”