Stratbase Institute

Diwa Guinigundo, Former Deputy Governor of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, writes on his weekly column in BusinessWorld:

“The shift must be toward an economy that is productivity-driven, innovation-led, and inclusive. Innovation, properly understood, goes beyond frontier technologies. It is about reorganizing production, upgrading capabilities, improving institutions, and deploying resources more effectively.

Such a shift raises productivity, strengthens resilience, and sustains higher growth. But at this stage, marginal improvements will not suffice.

The Philippines needs no less than leapfrogging.”

Luzon AI corridor: Our last chance for leapfrogging? - BusinessWorld Online In an earlier column (“Breaking the mold: Innovation, institutions and economic transformation,” Jan. 30, https://tinyurl.com/2adzv4at), the argument was direct: incremental reform is no longer enough. The global environment has shifted too far and too fast. Trade is fragmenting. Supply chains a...

Prof. Dindo Manhit, President of Stratbase Institute, writes on his regular column in INQUIRER.net:

“For the Philippines, the lesson is clear: the correct path forward is not accommodation toward coercion, but deeper alignment with states prepared to help preserve stability, uphold international law, and strengthen regional resilience.

This is why the Philippines must move beyond rhetoric and fully operationalize active defense. Exercises such as Balikatan build readiness across land, sea, air, and cyberspace while strengthening the partnerships necessary to preserve stability.”

https://opinion.inquirer.net/191413/standing-shoulder-to-shoulder-with-friends

Standing shoulder to shoulder with friends In the past, Balikatan was immediately associated with joint military exercises between the Philippines and the United States. Participation was once limited to Filipino and American troops standing

The war games, under the Exercise Balikatan 41-2026, was aimed at further improving interoperability among five of the participating countries that also include Japan, Canada and Australia.

The military exercises, however, are seen as a show of force amid the aggressive and frequent muscle-flexing of China which has been claiming almost the entire West Philippine Sea.

AFP, four allied countries flex muscles in West PH Sea for Balikatan 2026 Eleven vessels from the Armed Forces of the Philippines and allied countries led by the United States deployed 11 vessels for military exercises in the West...

Vietnam chose peace and prospered.

The Toboso incident reminds us: end the armed struggle, embrace participatory governance. Stability through inclusion to achieve PBBM’s and every Filipino’s aspiration for positive peace.

The Philippines, United States, Japan, Australia, and Canada deployed 11 warships for a multinational maritime exercise in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) as part of the Balikatan Exercises, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said on Thursday.

In a statement, the AFP said the Multinational Maritime Event (MME), started April 20 and set to finish on May 1, aims to enhance interoperability and operational readiness among partner nations.

Warships from 5 navies hold maritime drills in West Philippine Sea The Philippines, United States, Japan, Australia, and Canada deployed 11 warships for a multinational maritime exercise in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) as part of the Balikatan Exercises, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said Thursday.

Prof. Dindo Manhit, President of Stratbase Institute, writes on "Thinking Beyond Politics", a BusinessWorld opinion column:

“Each participating nation, brought advanced military assets, specialized capabilities, and operational expertise. These, in turn, show stronger operability and enhanced collective deterrence.

They showed how defense partnerships are becoming more integrated, enabling allied and like-minded states to coordinate more effectively in responding to shared security challenges.

Balikatan 2026 also highlighted the growing importance of multi-domain operations in modern defense cooperation. The exercise extended beyond conventional land-based training to include coordinated activities across maritime, air, cyber, and information domains.

This reflects how contemporary security environments increasingly demand the ability to operate seamlessly across multiple theaters, where technological coordination, intelligence-sharing, and joint command structures are essential.”

Defense and security: Mutually reinforcing pillars of resilience https://www.bworldonline.com/opinion/2026/04/29/746053/defense-and-security-mutually-reinforcing-pillars-of-resilience/

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Arbitral Award on the South China Sea and the articulation of the Free and Open Indo-Pacific vision, both of which underscore the importance of upholding international law, safeguarding maritime rights, and maintaining a rules-based regional order. Against this backdrop, a capable and modernized Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) emerges as a critical instrument not only for national defense but also for reinforcing the country’s role in advancing a free, open, and rules-based Indo-Pacific.

In line with this, the Stratbase Institute, in partnership with the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS) Philippines, will organize a forum entitled “Building Credible Deterrence Through a Multi-Domain Armed Forces of the Philippines Modernization” on May 14, 2026 (Thursday) at the Manila Polo Club, Makati City.

The forum will bring together representatives from the government, military, academe, private sector, and diplomatic community for a discussion on strengthening the country’s defense capabilities through multi-domain modernization. By examining achievements, challenges, and opportunities, it seeks to provide actionable insights that can help inform the AFP’s long-term modernization roadmap and reinforce the Philippines’ role as a proactive contributor to regional peace and security.

As Stratbase Institute President and CEO, Prof. Dindo Manhit was invited to give a geopolitical briefing to the Board of Trustees and Past Presidents of the Digital Marketing Association of the Philippines (DMAP) entitled “POLITIKA: Geostrategic Thinking and Regional Dynamics”.

He gave a briefing on the regional dynamics and his outlook on how the conflict in the Middle East and the disruptions to the global order will affect the Philippines, especially as the country is currently sitting as the ASEAN Chair. Despite the risks, Prof. Manhit presented geostrategic opportunities to tap into amidst the tensions and the disruptions.

Prof. Dindo Manhit, President of Stratbase Institute, writes on "Thinking Beyond Politics", a BusinessWorld opinion column:

“Each participating nation, brought advanced military assets, specialized capabilities, and operational expertise. These, in turn, show stronger operability and enhanced collective deterrence. They showed how defense partnerships are becoming more integrated, enabling allied and like-minded states to coordinate more effectively in responding to shared security challenges.

Balikatan 2026 also highlighted the growing importance of multi-domain operations in modern defense cooperation. The exercise extended beyond conventional land-based training to include coordinated activities across maritime, air, cyber, and information domains.

This reflects how contemporary security environments increasingly demand the ability to operate seamlessly across multiple theaters, where technological coordination, intelligence-sharing, and joint command structures are essential.”

Defense and security: Mutually reinforcing pillars of resilience - BusinessWorld Online Over the years, the Balikatan Exercises — which this year began on April 20 — has taken on an evolving meaning. Initially involving only troops from the Philippines and the United States, the current Balikatan, now in its 41st iteration, is participated in by 17,000 personnel from various partne...

American missile systems were deployed last week to a remote Luzon Strait island 100 miles south of Taiwan as part of Washington and Manila’s Balikatan 2026 military drills.

The arrival of Washington’s precision strike and anti-ship launchers for the annual exercise marks one of the most significant deployments on the Philippine archipelago to date and places advanced U.S. area denial capabilities within a strategic first island chokepoint.

U.S. Missiles Deploy Near Taiwan During Balikatan Exercise, Chinese Action Group Operates Nearby - USNI News MANILA, Philippines — American missile systems were deployed last week to a remote Luzon Strait island 100 miles south of Taiwan as part of Washington and Manila’s Balikatan 2026 military drills. The arrival of Washington’s precision strike and anti-ship launchers for the annual exercise marks...

Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. on Thursday rejected claims that the proposed United States-backed Pax Silica hub in the Philippines is a war-driven initiative.

PH-US ‘Pax Silica’ hub not war-driven but for industrialization —Teodoro US-led ‘Pax Silica’ hub in PH not war-driven but for resilience, industrialization —Teodoro

Philippine and allied forces staged a large-scale coastal defense drill on Monday, April 27, simulating an enemy amphibious landing in a town facing the West Philippine Sea (WPS).

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), together with the United States Armed Forces, Australian Defence Force, and New Zealand Defence Force, carried out a counter-landing live fire exercise (CLLFX-West) at the Apurawan Beach Landing Site in Aborlan, Palawan as part of the 41st iteration of the Exercise Balikatan.

Exercise Balikatan: AFP, US, Australia, New Zealand test coastal defense in Palawan town facing West PH Sea Philippine and allied forces staged a large-scale coastal defense drill on Monday, April 27, simulating an enemy amphibious landing in a town facing the West...