RP-US Balikatan Exercises 2007 opens today

The RP-US Balikatan Exercise 2007 formally opened on Monday at Camp Aguinaldo and it will run until March 4 in Jolo, Sulu, where Filipino soldiers are hunting down remnants of the Abu Sayyaf group and Jemaah Islamiyah militants.

US Ambassador to the Philippines Kristie Kenney and Department of Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo gave their respective remarks in the opening ceremony held at Camp Aguinaldo Officers’ Club in Quezon City.

Dignitaries from the DFA and Defense, led by Secretary Hermogenes Ebdane, Jr., the Philippine Congress, and co-exercise directors, U.S. Army Major General Stephen Tom and AFP Rear Admiral Amable Tolentino were in attendance.

Balikatan 2007, the 23rd in this series, is conducted under the auspices of the Mutual Defense Treaty and Visiting Forces Agreement, and reflects the robust and active Philippines - US military partnership for the benefit of the people.

This year’s exercise focuses mainly on humanitarian projects in Mindanao, especially Jolo Island, including multiple medical, dental, veterinary, and engineering projects carried out by Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and U.S. personnel.

There will also be a combined task force staff exercises that emphasizes crisis action planning in a maritime security scenario, which will help the two countries learn to work together in addressing real-world challenges such as terrorist transit routes, piracy, drug smuggling, and critical infrastructure protection.

The term balikatan is from the Tagalog language, which means “shouldering the load together,” characterizing the guiding philosophy of this exercise and the US - Philippines security partnership. (PRESS RELEASE)