Philippines, US to hold joint war games as tensions grow in South China Sea
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine armed forces will hold joint exercises with hundreds of US soldiers over the next two weeks, its military chief said Sunday, amid growing tensions with Beijing in the South China Sea.
The annual war games between the military allies were cancelled in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
This year's event will be on a smaller scale than in previous years due to the health crisis, Philippine military chief Lieutenant General Cirilito Sobejana told AFP.
About 700 US soldiers and up to 1,300 members of the Philippine military will take part — about a quarter of the usual attendance, Sobejana said.
"The exercise this year is a hybrid of virtual and physical activities," he said.
"It's a low-key exercise, just to keep the alliance — the contact — between the two armed forces."
The US embassy in Manila did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The announcement came hours after a phone call between US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin and his Philippine counterpart Delfin Lorenzana, who last week tested positive for the coronavirus.
They "discussed the situation in the South China Sea, and the recent massing of People's Republic of China maritime militia vessels at Whitsun Reef," according to a readout provided by the Pentagon.
To deepen their defence cooperation, Austin proposed "enhancing situational awareness of threats in the South China Sea". The readout did not elaborate.
Tensions over the resource-rich sea have intensified since hundreds of Chinese vessels were detected last month at Whitsun Reef, which is in the Spratly Islands where several countries, including China and the Philippines, have rival claims.
China, which claims almost the entirety of the sea, has refused repeated appeals by the Philippines to withdraw the vessels, which Manila says unlawfully entered its exclusive economic zone.
Beijing said previously they were fishing vessels sheltering from bad weather.
The United States reminded China last week of Washington's treaty obligations to the Philippines in the event of an attack in the waters.
"An armed attack against the Philippines' armed forces, public vessels or aircraft in the Pacific, including in the South China Sea, will trigger our obligations under the US-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty," State Department spokesman Ned Price told reporters.
The resumption of joint military drills comes more than a year after Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte — who has pivoted towards China since taking power in 2016 — gave notice that he planned to axe the Visiting Forces Agreement.
The plan to break the deal — central to hundreds of joint military exercises with the US every year and a major component of their nearly 70-year-old alliance — has been suspended.
But it has underscored the complicated relations between the Philippines and its former colonial master, the United States.
Duterte's stance also raised concern that the regional balance of power could tilt in Beijing's favour.
The US government establishes a five-year grant worth P800 million to promote natural resource conservation, and ecosystem and community resilience, by supporting civil society organizations in advocating for, and participating in, good natural resource governance.
The grant will be launched through the Investing in Sustainability and Partnerships for Inclusive Growth and Regenerative Ecosystems (INSPIRE) project.
“Through the INSPIRE project, USAID is pleased to support the Philippines’ efforts to conserve the country’s rich biodiversity and mitigate the impacts of climate change while making sure that the environment continues to benefit many Filipinos whose incomes depend upon these natural resources," USAID Acting Mission Director Sean Callahan says.
The United States Embassy in the Philippines launches a livelihood program for those who are recovering from substance abuse order.
In partnership with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, the US Embassy's International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs is providing PhP5 million ($100,000) to support the "Ako ang Saklay" program.
“Livelihood programs, such as those facilitated by Ako ang Saklay, can result in quality-of-life changes for persons who use drugs, their families, and their communities,” INL representative Mark Everson says.
The US Peace Corps, in partnership with the DepEd, concludes a series of virtual trainings for educators on using newly developed distance training materials.
The training ran from October 12 to 29, which involved 1,000 teachers, principals and supervisors from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.
“Studies show that high-quality instructional materials significantly increase academic outcomes by allowing students to engage more deeply and meaningfully with their learning. This has never been more important than now, with students still schooling online due to the ongoing pandemic,” DepEd Bureau of Learning Delivery Director Leila Areola says.
USAID launches a five-year project worth P750 million ($15 million) to build climate resilience in the Philippines.
The Climate Resilient Cities project will help cities in the country to mitigate, and endure the impacts of climate change by increasing their access to climate financing and tools to build resilience, the US Embassy says.
"Addressing the climate crisis, and particularly the vulnerability of cities, is crucial to helping build a more prosperous, resilient Philippines for current and future generations," USAID Philippines Acting Mission Director Sean Callahan says.
US military service members on Tuesday delivered ICU beds and COVID-19 cold storage units wort P758,750 to the Palawan provincial government.
The donation was made in response to the request of the Palawan provincial government amid a surge of COVID-19 cases in the province, the US Embassy says in a media release.
“This donation will help the people of Palawan a lot by upgrading our ability to fight against the pandemic. It comes at the perfect time due to the surge of new cases and will help us face this new challenge," Palawan Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Office director Jeremias Alili says.
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