THE Philippines and the United States have approved more than 500 joint military activities for 2026 during their latest Mutual Defense Board–Security Engagement Board (MDB-SEB) meeting.
The two-day talks held Aug, 7–8 at Camp Smith in Hawaii, was co-chaired by Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. and US Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM) commander Adm. Samuel Paparo.
In a statement on Tuesday, the INDOPACOM said both officials signed the annual “8-Star Memo” outlining guidance and plans for next year’s engagements, including the 2026 iteration of Exercise Balikatan.
The approved activities cover both large-scale exercises and smaller expert exchanges.
Paparo and Brawner also reaffirmed their commitment to strengthen deterrence in the Indo-Pacific and promote “peace through strength” by employing deeper cooperation and interoperability.
INDOPACOM highlighted the growing US-Philippine security partnership, adverting to recent successes in bilateral and multilateral maritime activities in the Philippines.
The board also emphasized that the MDB-SEB remains a key mechanism for advancing the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty established in 1958. Along with the Security Engagement Board formed in 2006, the MDT also serves as a framework for defense and security cooperation between the two countries.
