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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider 'Handa na sa training!' US Marines rehearse sea-based logistics off Cagayan de Oro ahead of 'Balikatan'

'Handa na sa training!' US Marines rehearse sea-based logistics off Cagayan de Oro ahead of 'Balikatan'

Published Apr 11, 2026 05:40 pm
Personnel of the United States Marine Corps assigned to I Marine Expeditionary Force and Philippine contractors ******** a Medium Tactical Vehicle Replacement onto a Philippine barge in Cagayan de Oro on March 17, 2026. (Photo courtesy of USMC / Exercise Balikatan Facebook)
Personnel of the United States Marine Corps assigned to I Marine Expeditionary Force and Philippine contractors ******** a Medium Tactical Vehicle Replacement onto a Philippine barge in Cagayan de Oro on March 17, 2026. (Photo courtesy of USMC / Exercise Balikatan Facebook)
The United States Marine Corps (USMC) has practiced moving warfighting equipment from sea to shore in northern Mindanao ahead of Exercise Balikatan this month.
The rehearsal held last month centered on a maritime prepositioning force offload at the port of Cagayan de Oro as the USNS Sgt. William W. Seay (T-AKR 302), a Bob Hope-class roll on roll off vehicle cargo ship of the United States Navy, carried equipment and sustainment supplies needed for the Balikatan drills.
According to a news release from the USMC, US marines and sailors worked with the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), Philippine port authorities, and civilian contractors as they offloaded cargo and transferred it to barges for movement to Subic Bay, where units will draw equipment for training.
Balikatan is a longstanding joint military exercise between Manila and Washington that focuses on combined operations and regional security.
This year’s sea-based logistics rehearsal in Mindanao marked the first time such an offload has taken place in the area, the USMC said.
It stressed that the activity broadened the network of supply routes and allowed forces to test how quickly they can push equipment into different parts of the archipelago.
The offloaded equipment will support Balikatan activities across several locations as the joint drills is slated later this month. The operation also serves as a rehearsal for crisis response, when forces may need to move supplies quickly from ships to shore.
As troops prepare for field exercises, community engagements were also underway. In Quezon province, AFP and US military forces conducted a gift-giving event at Villa Reyes Elementary School in San Francisco town.
The troops distributed learning materials and operational equipment to the students, and broke ground for a two-classroom building to be built ahead of the Balikatan drills. Medical and dental missions were also conducted to serve the residents.
This year’s Balikatan drills will run from April to May, with the opening set on April 20. Despite ongoing conflict in the Middle East, AFP Chief General Romeo Brawner Jr. had said the exercises will proceed at full scale.

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Balikatan Armed Forces of the Philippines US Marines Cagayan de Oro Quezon province
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