The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) have reassured that the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) and the annual ‘Balikatan’ military exercises with the United States will continue unaffected by President Donald Trump’s recent decision to temporarily halt foreign aid. AFP spokesperson Col. Francel Margareth Padilla emphasized during a press briefing at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City that these long-standing agreements have remained robust throughout Trump’s presidency.
Trump’s directive involves a 90-day suspension of foreign development assistance to reassess its alignment with U.S. foreign policy objectives. Despite this, Padilla clarified that the VFA and ‘Balikatan’ are considered treaties, separate from the U.S. assistance programs that are currently under review. She noted that the financial aspects of U.S. aid would be evaluated by higher authorities, but the military agreements would proceed as usual.
Looking ahead, Padilla announced that the upcoming ‘Balikatan’ 2025 exercises are set to be one of the largest in history. She mentioned that several countries have shown interest in actively participating in these drills, which now encompass air, land, sea, and cyber operations. However, specifics regarding the participating nations, their commitments, and the number of troops involved are still being finalized.