US-Philippines Balikatan exercises to go full blast in 2022 —Lorenzana

The Balikatan military exercises between the Philippines and the United States will be boosted in 2022, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said Wednesday.

In a television interview, Lorenzana said many small military exercises with the US did not happen this year so the Philippines will prepare for a “full blast” conduct of the Balikatan next year.

“Ang pinaghahandaan natin ay 'yung 2022 para magkaroon tayo ng full blast na naman ‘yung ating Balikatan (We are preparing for 2022 to have a full blast Balikatan),” he said.

The military exercises between the two countries were supposed to be continuous, Lorenzana said. With the pandemic, some of the small exercises set until November did not push through.

Some of the schedule of the exercises were also postponed until March 2022 to shift the focus on the preparation for the next year’s activity, according to Lorenzana.

On April 12, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the US military opened the 36th Balikatan Exercises. The activity was concluded on April 23.

In light of strict health protocol due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the AFP said the number of participants from both militaries has been decreased to 736 from the AFP and 225 from the US Armed Forces.

During the 35th Balikatan in 2019, at least 8,000 troops, composed of 4,000 Filipino troops, 3,500 US troops, and 50 Australian troops, participated.—Joviland Rita/AOL, GMA News