CAMP AGUINALDO, Quezon City, Philippines– As part of Exercise Balikatan 2026, senior enlisted leaders from the Armed Forces of the Philippines hosted the first Senior Enlisted Symposium, alongside senior enlisted leaders from the Philippines, the United States, Australia, Japan, New Zealand, Canada and France at Camp Aguinaldo, April 25-27.
The symposium represented a coordinated effort to unite allies and partners participating in Balikatan 2026, aiming to synchronize enlisted priorities, elevate mutual awareness, and foster relationships critical for effective coordination when addressing future challenges.
New Zealand Army Warrant Officer Class One Michael Yorwarth, deputy senior enlisted leader, delivered opening remarks on the first day of the conference. He encouraged participants to share perspectives framed by themes of ironclad alliances, capable combined and joint forces, and an unwavering commitment to regional security and stability.
“As senior enlisted leaders, we drive interoperability at the tactical level,” Yorwarth said. “In essence, we get things done.”
Yorwarth emphasized that strong relationships are critical to enhancing joint capability, and the first step to achieving that is through activities like the Senior Enlisted Symposium.
The conference also featured a keynote address from Philippine Army Col. Francel Margareth A. Padilla, commander of the Army’s 7th Signal Battalion and spokesperson for the AFP. Her presentation focused on maritime security efforts and emphasized the necessity of mutual partnerships to ensure the region remains free and open.
“We [Philippines] are not an expansionist country, we are a defensive country,” she said.
Padilla identified several critical areas for senior enlisted leadership consideration, including awareness around social media cyber-attacks and strategies to counter online misinformation.
Throughout the symposium, senior leaders were encouraged to exchange their respective nations’ expertise regarding defensive posture to facilitate a continued promotion of partnership.
U.S. Marine Corps Master Gunnery Sgt. Craig A. Evans, operations chief for Marine Corps Forces Pacific (MARFORPAC), assisted in organizing the event to align closely with command leadership standards, using Balikatan as the operational framework.
“We recognize that, as we strengthen our ties among allies [at Balikatan], we have an opportunity to capitalize on what we can learn from each other,” Evans said. “If we’re going to be abroad, we want to appreciate and learn from each other.”
Master Gunnery Sgt. Evans also noted how senior leadership advocates mutual respect during Balikatan to elevate the standard of enlisted leadership across the force.
Chief Master Sgt. Marlon Manlogat, assistant Sgt. Major for the Philippine Army and deputy to the Sgt. Major of the AFP, attended the symposium and underscored the importance of collaboration among partner nations during Balikatan.
“This is good for all,” Manlogat said. “We can learn a lot from each partner nation and encourage interoperability, which will have a good effect on unit participation back home.”
Manlogat emphasized that the knowledge exchanged among enlisted leaders during Balikatan will be passed down to junior non-commissioned officers for wider dissemination.
“Balikatan has been going on for many years, and this is a good chance to learn from our friendly forces,” he said.
During the three-day event, leaders participated in partner briefings, targeted lectures, cultural exchanges, and a group athletic exercise, all organized to strengthen trust and cultivate professional connections among attendees.
While Balikatan has historically hosted senior leader symposiums for commissioned officers, Balikatan 2026 marks the first instance where senior enlisted leaders gathered for structured discourse, mirroring the officers’ forum to advance partnership and mutual understanding within the enlisted ranks.
“Our ultimate goal is to share lessons learned, draw upon the bond and relationship-building Balikatan promotes, and have an appreciation for our partners,” concluded Master Gunnery Sgt. Evans.
Balikatan is a longstanding annual exercise between the Armed Forces of the Philippines and U.S. military that represents the strength of our alliance, improves our capable combined force, and demonstrates our commitment to regional peace and prosperity.