MANILA, April 4 (Xinhua) -- The annual Balikatan (Shoulder-to-Shoulder) joint military exercises between the Philippines and the United States opened in Philippine capital on Monday.
Some 9,000 Filipino and U.S. forces, as well as about 80 from Australian Defense Force personnel, are participating in the almost two-week long drills from April 4 to April 15 in the islands of Luzon, Palawan and Panay.
Vice Admiral Alexander Lopez, exercise director for the Philippine side of the Balikatan 2016, said during a news conference at Philippine military headquarters that the exercises would capacitate the country's armed forces to "deal with a whole lot of exigencies."
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