Balikatan Exercise

The Balikatan exercises are annual military exercises between the Philippines and the United States, with the goal of maintaining and developing the security relationship between the two countries' armed forces. The exercises have been held since 1991 and have expanded to include other countries in Southeast Asia, with Australia participating annually since 2014. The Balikatan exercises focus on counterterrorism operations, humanitarian assistance, and disaster relief, and have contributed to the Philippine armed forces' efforts to root out Abu Sayyaf and Jemaah Islamiyah and bring development to formerly insurgent-held areas.learn more on wikipedia