Manila, Feb. 17 -- President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. is supporting the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to improve their defense capabilities under the "Bagong Pilipinas" brand of governance. He said this during the AFP's 88th anniversary at Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City in December 2023.

The President emphasized the need for the AFP to build strong ties with other countries saying: "Let us continue to explore so that we may forge new partnerships based on common goals, and common values, and at the same time, advance national interest."

Every year, the AFP works with the US military for the "Balikatan" exercises. This event shows what Philippine troops can do to protect the country. These joint exercises, which started in 1991, have...