The Philippine Army (PA) and United States Army Pacific (USARPAC) kicked off Exercise “Sabak” 2025 on Monday, March 24, at Fort Magsaysay in Nueva Ecija.
PA Vice Commander, Maj. Gen. Leodevic Guinid spearheaded the opening ceremony of Exercise Sabak which brings together Filipino and American forces in a robust joint exercise across key locations in the Philippines. The US contingent was led by Brig. Gen. Jonathan Velishka, deputy commanding general of USARPAC's 25th Infantry Division.
Exercise Sabak will tackle capability enhancement on operational command and control (C2), combined arms force-on-force, large-scale operational maneuvers, combined arms live fire exercise, and sustainment operations in support of external security operations.
It will also provide participants with critical training in humanitarian civil assistance, information operations, counter-intelligence and protection, all aimed at strengthening the country’s defense readiness.
Exercise Sabak is a combination of the Army-led “Exercise Salaknib” and the broader “Exercise Balikatan”, the annual military exercise between the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and US Armed Forces.
“The exercise, designed as a continuous operation, focuses on enhancing combined/joint all-domain operations, reinforcing warfighting capabilities, and showcasing a strong bilateral commitment to safeguarding the Philippines' territorial integrity,” PA spokesperson Col. Louie Dema-ala said.
Salaknib is participated in by around 3,000 PA and 2,000 USARPAC troops who will train in various subject matter expert exchanges (SMEEs) and warfighting exercises.
The first phase of the exercises will be conducted from March 24 to April 11 while the second phase will be from May 19 to July 20.
The drills will be held in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City, as well as the area of responsibility (AOR) of the 5th Infantry Division (5ID) in Northern Luzon and the 7th Infantry Division (5ID) in Central Luzon.
“The Philippine Army continues to develop and enhance its capabilities in partnership with its allies. Through joint exercises like Sabak 2025, the Army further solidifies its readiness to respond to evolving threats and upholds its vital role in the nation's land defense as part of the AFP's broader mission in external security operations,” Dema-ala said.
PH, US troops building health center
Meanwhile, the Philippine Navy (PN) and the US Army broke ground for a planned community health center in Rizal, Palawan last Saturday as part of the humanitarian civic action (HCA) program of this year’s Exercise Balikatan.
Troops from the PN’s 3rd Naval Engineer Battalion and US Army 523rd Engineering Support Company will build the health center for residents of Sitio Manggahan in Rizal town.
Col. Xerxes Trinidad, chief of AFP’s public affairs office, said the initiative reflected the “strong Philippines-US partnership” and demonstrated their shared commitment to community development.
“Through Balikatan, both forces enhance interoperability while directly supporting local needs, ensuring a lasting impact beyond military training,” he said.
“With construction now underway, the health center will soon serve as a vital resource for residents, strengthening local healthcare services,” he added.
The 40th iteration of the Balikatan Exercises will run from April 21 to May 9, with an estimated 16,000 participating troops from the two countries. Personnel from Australia, Canada, France, Japan, South Korea and are also set to join the annual exercise.