INTERNATIONAL: The opening ceremony for a two-week military exercise between 9,000 U.S. and Filipino troops was held on Monday ,March 28, as China continues to impose its presence over the South China Sea.

The annual "Balikatan" (Shoulder-to-Shoulder) was cancelled in 2020 because of the pandemic, but has resumed last year with scaled down activities involving only 1,700 troops with minimal physical contact.

“This combined joint exercise is an opportunity for the United States and the Philippines to reaffirm our commitment to even more robust ties and to a relationship that remains highly relevant as the world faces new and continuing challenges,” said Heather Variava, the Charge D’Affaires of the U.S. Embassy in the Philippines.

Easing COVID restrictions allowed the full resumption of the joint exercises, which includes amphibious operations and live-fire training to test operational readiness and warfighting capabilities using newly-acquired equipment.