CAMP AGUINALDO, Quezon City, Philippines -- Service members from the Armed Forces of the Philippines, U.S. military, Japanese Self-Defense Force, and Australian Defence Force concluded humanitarian civic assistance efforts on May 7 as part of Exercise Balikatan 25. These efforts included critical medical services, engineering projects, and community outreach activities that directly supported local populations across the Philippines.
Humanitarian civic assistance improves access to health care, education, and basic services for local communities, while reinforcing the strength of Philippine and U.S. alliance.
Community health engagements provided care to over 1,000 individuals and delivered health education to over 550 residents. Philippine and U.S. military medical teams also exchanged knowledge on preventive care and community health practices.
Engineers constructed a multipurpose warehouse, a rural health center, and a two-room schoolhouse, and renovated classrooms across five provinces to improve learning conditions. Civil-military teams also held “Bundle of Joy” events, distributing backpacks, hygiene kits, printers, solar panels, and school supplies for the benefit of more than 400 students.
“Balikatan 25 was a clear demonstration of how our alliance directly supports communities,” said Col. Edgardo V. Talaroc Jr. commanding officer of the Combined Joint Civil-Military Operations Task Force, Armed Forces of the Philippines.
“This mission strengthened our ability to operate side by side and respond where it counts,” said Col. Michael T. Aldridge, commanding officer of the Combined Joint Civil-Military Operations Task Force, U.S. Marine Corps.
Balikatan is a longstanding annual exercise between the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the U.S. military designed to strengthen our ironclad alliance, improve our capable combined force and demonstrate our commitment to regional peace and prosperity.