US-Philippines Balikatan drills spark local fears of conflict spillover

The 2025 Balikatan joint exercises, the largest yet, saw more than 17,000 soldiers from six countries conduct three weeks of drills across the Philippines. The U.S. contributed about 10,000 troops, supported by forces from Canada, Japan, Australia, France and New Zealand.

The exercises were staged in Ilocos Norte, a coastal province facing the South China Sea and located roughly 345 km south of Taiwan. Local residents, such as Father Arvin Mangrubang of the Philippine Independent Church, reported that the constant display of tanks, drones and loud gunfire “sends everyone into a fright, especially those who live so close to the operations.”

Filipino activists protested the drills, arguing that the U.S. presence turns the Philippines into a forward base and raises the risk of becoming a target in the U.S.–China rivalry and the broader U.S. war on Iran. Raymond Palatino, secretary‑general of the Bayan coalition, warned that “it is paving the way for the US war machine to boost its horrific range from West Asia to the West Philippine Sea.”

Analysts view the large‑scale war games as a provocation toward China while also disrupting local fishing and farming livelihoods.