March 25, 2024 - U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited the Philippines and expressed shared concerns about China's actions in the South China Sea and the Philippines' exclusive economic zone. He reaffirmed the U.S. Defense Department commitments to the Philippines and discussed the upcoming Balikatan 2024 war games.

Blinken's visit was met with protests organized by civil society and anti-war groups outside the Presidential Palace in Manila. The protesters carried banners with messages against U.S. presence in the Philippines and U.S. intervention in the region.

 

U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo also visited the Philippines to promot U.S. multinational corportations investing in the country. Over $1 billion in investements were announced during her visit.

 

The Balikatan 2024 military exercises between the U.S. and the Philippines are scheduled to take place from April 22 to May 8, 2024. It is expected to involve a total of 16,000 troops, with participation from Australia and France. The exercises will include an integrated air missile defense exercise and drills focusing on ship sinking exercises.

A new U.S. funded sea port will be built in Basco on the Island of Batan, which is located 100 miles north of Luzon and 120 miles south of Taiwan. The U.S. army plans to visit the site during the Balikatan military exercises.

The Balikatan 2024 exercises will involve U.S. military drills conducted outside of the Philippines territorial waters, about 22 kilometers off the west cost of Palwan. The declared aim is to show the seriousness of defending Philippine territory and the presence of allies.

The assertion made by Gina Raimondo, the U.S. Secretary of Commerce, that the trip to the Philippines was a unique occurrance is debunked by historical evidence. A simple examination of the national financial statement reveals that American multinational corportations have been taken advantage of the Philippines neo-colonial status for over a century.
 

The recent committment by the U.S. Department of Commerce to support $1 billion worth of investements not only highlights the escalating trade tensions between the United States and China, but also contributes to the further super-exploitation of Filippino labor and positions the Philippines as a mere pawn in the Pentagon's strategy to encircle China.