Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief-of-staff Gen. Andres Centino on Monday said the annual “Balikatan” exercises give both American and Filipino troops the chance to address their vulnerabilities and ensure that both are able to respond to any crisis or emergency effectively.

“In light of the volatile, uncertain and ambiguous nature of the security setting that we are faced and the fast-changing advancements in warfare, it has indeed been a shared responsibility to address our vulnerabilities and ensure that both our Armed Forces are able to promptly and effectively respond to any crisis or emergency under all circumstances,” Centino said during the opening of the joint military exercises at Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City.

The two-week exercise which runs until April 8 will feature drills or training on maritime security, amphibious, live-fire training, urban, aviation, and counterterrorism and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations.

Centino said “Balikatan” is also one of the long-standing mutual engagements between the Philippines and the US that have paved the way for enhanced cooperation, collaboration, and mutual commitment all aimed at promoting collective security.

“More importantly, the ‘Balikatan’ exercise truly embodies the friendship and alliance between our two countries, after all ‘Balikatan’ (comes) from the Filipino word ‘balikat’ (which) means shoulder-to-shoulder,” the AFP chief added.

Centino noted that this year’s “Balikatan” is very remarkable as both countries are able to enforce full implementation of the exercise with approximately 8,900 participants and observers from various Armed Forces which is a remarkable development compared to the previous year.

The figure includes 3,800 AFP members and 5,100 US military personnel — the largest number of combined personnel of the two militaries in the annual exercise since the start of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic in 2020.

During the “Balikatan” 2021, only 226 American and 415 Filipino military personnel participated while “Balikatan” 2020 was canceled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Centino attributed the sizable contingent for this year to the country’s improving Covid-19 situation and easing of safety protocols.

“I would like to express (on) behalf of my government, our profound gratitude to the US government and to the US Armed Forces for your unwavering commitment and support to uphold our obligation to the Mutual Defense Treaty,” Centino said.

Major activities for this year’s “Balikatan” are various staff, joint and combined interoperability exercises, humanitarian civic assistance, he added. (PNA)