By Ronron
March 3, 2008
Angeles City, Pampanga - The 2008 Balikatan Exercises between the Philippines and the United States formally ended Monday with a hope from no less than Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief of staff Gen. Hermogenes Esperon, Jr. that it will eventually evolve into a multi-lateral activity in the coming years.
“We have built schools, renovated road, and constructed houses of worship. We have brought medical, dental and veterinary assistance to the remotest areas of the Philippine archipelago… This makes the success of Balikatan more than just a military accomplishment; it is more importantly also the success for the Filipino people,” Esperon said in a speech during the exercise closing ceremony here yesterday morning.
Some 6,000 American troops coming from the US 3rd Marine Expeditionary Unit and about 2,000 Filipino counterparts participated in the exercise that was held in various parts of the country, particularly in Luzon and Mindanao, starting February 18 of this year.
Esperon said what made this year’s Balikatan exercises different is the focus on humanitarian projects over the regular inter-operability trainings.
US Exercise Director Brig. Gen. John Ma said their government spent at least $5.6 million for all the activities conducted.
Exercise information officer Army Maj. Ramon Zagala III of the AFP said the civil-military operations component of the activity resulted in the following accomplished projects: nine engineering projects in Basilan, Sulu, Tawi-tawi, Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao, Cotabato and Palawan; 20 medical events in the same provinces, plus Lanao del Norte, benefiting 20,235 people; 15 dental events, benefiting about 2,000 people, and six veterinary events, benefiting 600 animals.
The military exercise, on the other hand, included jungle survival trainings in Fort Magsaysay, Nueva Ecija; firing exercises in Crow Valley, Capas, Tarlac; and staff exercise on responding to volcano eruption incident, among others.
Ma said there was no specific enemy group cited in the military exercises component of the activity.
“Now, both of our Armed Forces are more prepared than even to face this challenge and timely event (volcano eruption) for a strong and swift response should that need arise,” Ma said.
Zagala said all military exercises were held in Luzon since in Mindanao, only the humanitarian missions were conducted.
Zagala’s counterpart with the US, Army Lt. Col. Mike Donnelly, said the US troops who participated in the Balikatan are expected to leave the country “within the week” when they complete packing their equipment.
Some will be aboard the USS Essex, which will sail to Okinawa, Japan, while the rest will take commercial and military flights going there and in other home bases in Hawaii, Alaska and other parts of the US, he said.
Asked on what benefits did the US side get from the exercises, Ma said: “A lot of it is the opportunity to train with our Filipino counterparts and subjected to how they do their thing.”
“Part of the benefit is being able to help those who need decent medical care… giving them livelihood,” he added.
Citing the presence of observer troops from Australia, Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand, Esperon said he hopes the bilateral activity will soon be joined by forces from other parts of the region.
“On a more important note, with the presence of observer teams, Balikatan need not remain bilateral. We hope that in the future, our Balikatan exercise can evolve into multilateral exercise,” he said.
Esperon said this can be done if the Philippines signs Visiting Forces Agreement with other countries, like the one it has with the US now.
So far, the Philippines is awaiting the ratification by the Philippine Senate of the RP-Australia Status of Visiting Forces Agreement. Efforts to forge the same agreement with Brunei and Singapore, among others, are still ongoing.
Ma said the US forces are willing to “execute” that if sanctioned by their “national” and US Pacific Command leadership./DMS
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