Forging stronger int'l alliances for peace, security, economy

MANILA – On the world stage, no nation stands alone.
“Bagong Pilipinas,” continues to forge stronger ties with friends and allies—old, new and emerging—for peace, security and economic growth and stability.
Addressing the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly in September 2022 in New York, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. declared:
"Amid the challenging global tides, an important ballast stabilizes our common vessel: our open, inclusive, and rules-based international order governed by international law and informed by the principles of equity and justice. As I have underscored, the Philippines shall continue to be a friend to all and an enemy to none," he said.
President Marcos said the Philippines “builds partnerships for peace and development.”
“In the face of great diversity, we believe that partnerships form the bridge to unite all of us in promoting peace and stability in the Asia Pacific Region,” the President told delegates to the UN Assembly.
Re-affirming, reinforcing relations with old allies
In the Asia-Pacific Region, the country’s lasting friendship with two of its oldest allies has been reinforced in the historic trilateral leaders' summit among the Philippines, the United States, and Japan. Held in April 2024 at the White House, the first-of-its-kind meeting with then-US President Joe Biden and then-Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida paved the way for discussions on a broad range of topics, including economic and security cooperation.
“The trilateral agreement is not … only about convenience, or because there is a new situation; I really view it as a continuing evolution of our relationship with both countries, with the US and Japan,” President Marcos said during a press briefing at the summit.
While defense and military cooperation was part of the discussions, President Marcos placed more emphasis on the economic cooperation and agreements reached at the summit.
“Security and defense, of course, are there. But that is not the main point of the trilateral agreement. This is evidenced by the fact that a large part of the agreement is on economic proposals, and economic assistance and partnership between the three countries,” he pointed out.
In July 2024, the president welcomed then-US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and then-Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, who visited Manila for the historic "2+2" meetings between the two countries, hosted by the Philippines for the first time. Earlier in November 2022, then-US Vice President Kamala Harris also visited the Philippines to reaffirm Washington’s commitment to the defense alliance with Manila.
AFP engagement with regional partners, allies
President Marcos has expressed firm support for improving the defense capabilities of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and building stronger cooperation and collaboration with its counterparts in the region. "Let us continue to explore so that we may forge new partnerships based on common goals, common values, and at the same time, advance national interest," the President said during the AFP's 88th anniversary in December 2023.
In an interview with the Philippine News Agency, AFP spokesperson Col. Francel Margareth Padilla said AFP's engagement with regional and international partners is "fostering alliances through joint exercises, information-sharing, and capacity-building."
“The recent maritime cooperative activities with allied countries contribute to our Maritime Security Operations geared towards enhancing our effective presence in the West Philippine Sea. However, diplomacy is at the forefront of our efforts. We are committed to pursuing peaceful and lawful resolutions to regional disputes through open dialog and engagement with neighboring countries,” Col. Padilla stressed.
The AFP is actively cooperating with its US counterpart in facilitating and completing important military activities. The annual 'Balikatan' military exercises are carried out to make both nations learn from each other’s defense capabilities. Other partner nations also take part in the exercises.
The Balikatan held from April to May 2024 was the largest annual combined military exercise in history between the Philippines and the US, participated in by representatives from 14 nations as observers. It included extensive field training such as a live-fire maritime strike (sinking) exercise and humanitarian assistance.
For 2025, Balikatan will involve a full-scale battle simulation which, according to Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr., “will put to the test the combined capabilities in the most realistic of scenarios possible with safety in mind.”
In November 2023 and January 2024, the AFP and the US Indo-Pacific Command successfully completed their first three-day maritime cooperative activity (MCA) designed to test protocols and enhance interoperability operations between the two countries.
In August 2024, the Philippines held a multilateral MCA with Australia, Canada, and the US. Most recently, in December 2024, a tripartite MCA between the Philippines, the US, and Japan was conducted in the West Philippine Sea.
Similar military cooperation is carried out with other allies such as South Korea and France.
New reciprocal access agreements
The defense cooperation between the AFP and the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) has been formally sealed with the ratification of the Reciprocal Access Agreement (RAA) between the two countries.
The agreement was unanimously ratified by the Senate on Dec. 16, 2024, Senate Resolution No. 1248 was unanimously approved in the Senate.  It is awaiting ratification by Japan’s parliament.
The RAA serves as a legal framework aimed at further strengthening collaboration and allowing the facilitation of exercises between the AFP and JMSDF.
Secretary Teodoro said the Philippines is also eyeing similar agreements with Canada, France, and New Zealand.
"They will all look the same; they will allow the armed forces of these different countries to operate with the Philippine Armed Forces within the Philippine territorial jurisdictions and vice versa so it will increase interoperability between these countries," he said.
Intelligence sharing, capacity building, emergency management 
In November 2024, the Philippines and the US signed the General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA), a landmark security measure to ensure the protection of classified military information and to serve as a framework for facilitating the exchange of information between the two nations.
AFP Chief Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. said GSOMIA ushers in "the dawn of a new era in collaboration and partnership between the Philippines and the US.”
"The combined coordination center will be a vital nexus for our joint operations, a gateway for information sharing and strategic coordination," Gen. Brawner said, stressing that the agreement will "elevate our capabilities in humanitarian assistance, disaster response, and maritime security, ensuring that we can act swiftly and effectively when the need arises."
Last year’s Mutual Defense Board-Security Engagement Board (MDB-SEB) focused on enhancing joint training exercises, defense capability training, maritime security cooperation, and other issues of shared interest between Manila and Washington. The annual MDB-SEB assures continuous cooperation between the Philippines and the US as stipulated in the Mutual Defense Treaty.
The meeting also serves as an event facilitating dialog for various actionable cooperation to assure the readiness of both parties in responding to security threats and disasters in the region.
In February 2023, Manila and Washington designated four new EDCA locations for the accelerated and expanded Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA), which will also lead to the improvement of infrastructure and construction of new facilities at Naval Base Camilo Osias in Sta. Ana, Cagayan; Lal-lo Airport in Lal-lo, Cagayan; Camp Melchor Dela Cruz in Gamu, Isabela; and Balabac in Palawan.
EDCA is aimed at improving the country’s defensive and disaster-response capabilities.
“The main purpose [of the EDCA sites] is to be hubs for our humanitarian assistance and disaster relief,” DND spokesperson Arsenio Andolong said at a news forum in March 2023, citing the EDCA site in Nueva Ecija where relief goods for calamity-affected areas were dispatched. (PNA)
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(2025/03/07-08:05)