Filipinos living in coastal areas where Washington and Manila recently held a joint military exercise fear they would be the first targets if conflict breaks out in the South China Sea, but support military operations to protect the country.
Philippine and US troops use 105mm and 155mm artillery to repel a simulated invasion during a live-fire counterattack exercise at the La Paz sand dunes in the northern Philippines on May 6. Photo: CIRIACO SANTIAGO III
Filipinos support military exercises
Since the annual “Balikatan” or “Shoulder-to-Shoulder” 2024 military exercise between the US and the Philippines was deployed in April until May 10, many Filipinos in the area where the activity took place have also been affected.
Balikatan 2024 is being held in several areas in the Philippines, such as areas along the west coast facing the disputed waterway, and in the north near Taiwan, which China considers its territory.
Until May 10, fishermen in Laoag City, Ilocos Norte province were banned from going to sea for a week, as US and Philippine forces conducted exercises at the nearby La Paz sandbar.
Laoag City in the Philippines faces the South China Sea , and is only about 408km from the southern tip of Taiwan. In addition, Ilocos Norte province is the closest mainland province to China in the Philippines, and is home to more than 609,000 people.
On May 6, while sitting on a boat in the quiet harbor of Gabu Norte village, fisherman Macreno Racadio (40 years old) suddenly heard gunshots.
A rumble echoed across the land, shaking homes in a coastal village in the northern Philippines. At this moment, American and Philippine troops were shelling floating targets, pretending to repel a naval invasion.
Gabu Norte village officials have told residents not to panic if they hear explosions from the drill. But Mr. Racadio could not help but flinch.
“It’s like they’re preparing for war. If that happens, we’ll just sit here and hide,” The Straits Times quoted Mr Racadio as saying.
The fisherman said his village is located near a local airport, and would be a prime target if war broke out.
Each fisherman in Ilocos Norte province also lost about 3,000 pesos ($52) per day, because they were not allowed to go to sea during the drills.
US and Philippine forces conducted two exercises in Ilocos Norte province. On May 6, the two forces conducted a live-fire counterattack exercise. Meanwhile, on May 8, the US and the Philippines conducted a maritime attack exercise, using powerful weapon systems to sink a Chinese-made oil tanker .
Fish stall owner Jacqueline Racilas, 47, in Laoag city, said she supported the exercises, as they help train Philippine soldiers, even though it meant her fisherman husband would have no income for a week.
“Of course, we coastal people fear a possible war. But I still support the Balikatan exercise, so that if another country invades, our soldiers can fight back,” said Ms. Racilas.
Fish stall owner Jacqueline Racilas in Laoag City, Ilocos Norte said she supports the exercise – Photo: CIRIACO SANTIAGO III
Still maintain good relations with China
The dynamics in Ilocos Norte province make the area a “microcosm” for the Philippine government to consider balancing operations between the parties, as Manila finds itself in the middle of competition between Washington and Beijing, according to The Straits Times .
Ilocos Norte province has close ties with China. In 2007, a Chinese consulate was opened in Laoag City, where then-Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. was governor.
Ilocos Norte province has a sister-state relationship with Shandong province (China), while Laoag city also has sister-state agreements with several other Chinese localities.
China is often one of the first foreign countries to donate relief aid when Ilocos Norte province is hit by natural disasters. A Chinese garden was also opened in Ilocos Norte in 2021 and is now a tourist attraction .
Provincial Governor Matthew Marcos Manotoc, nephew of the Philippine President, said the 2024 exercise has so far not affected relations with Chinese officials present in the province.
Meanwhile, Laoag City Mayor Michael Marcos Keon welcomed the Balikatan exercise. The Laoag Mayor is a cousin of the Philippine President.
Mr Keon said he maintained a “very good relationship” with the Chinese consulate in his city.
“We are not doing exercises to provoke war. We are just sending a message that if we have to, we will defend our territory,” Mr. Keon said.
China claims sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea, rejecting the claims of other countries, despite the 2016 ruling of the Arbitral Tribunal established under Annex VII of the 1982 UNCLOS.
In recent weeks, China has increased its military presence and activities in the South China Sea, including spraying water cannons at Philippine vessels patrolling near Scarborough Shoal, as well as Philippine supply ships en route to Second Thomas Shoal.
Located in Vietnam’s Truong Sa archipelago, Co May Bank is about 200km from Palawan Island of the Philippines and more than 1,000km from Hainan Island of China.
According to the 2016 ruling of the South China Sea Arbitration Court, Second Thomas Shoal is located on the Philippine continental shelf.
