Fisherfolk and peasants living near US military bases and war games sites do not consider the imperialist war a distant possibility. They already suffer from anxiety and the devastation it brings to their livelihood and communities.

A 35-person delegation from the US documented this among many other cases when they toured communities near military bases or EDCA sites in November. They separately visited Cagayan Valley, Ilocos, Central Luzon, Cagayan de Oro, Marawi City, and Cebu City for two weeks. They also went to sites of frequent large-scale war games such as Balikatan.

The delegation came to the Philippines amid the Trump regime’s rising militarism in Asia. In the past two years alone, the US deployed long-range missiles in the Philippines, announced the construction of ammunition and drone factories, and opened more locations for storage, outposts, and ports for American troops and ships. It conducted relentless war games, live-fire exercises at sea, and simulated combat offensives and defenses.

In the communities the delegation visited, residents know that the military bases and war games place them—and the Philippines—at the center of the imperialist war between the US and China. American officials themselves admitted that the EDCA sites are directly linked to “US defense of Taiwan.” These officials also pushed the US to “sell” the EDCA sites to Taiwan as “non-weaponry support service” for the country.

Real damage from simulated war

“We thought that war had started,” was the common remark of residents to the delegation’s interviews in villages across the Cagayan Valley. Many of them were startled by the sudden influx of foreign troops, large vehicles, and roaring aircraft in their area whenever the US held war games.

“No warning. No one told us what would happen or for how long,” a delegation interviewee stated. Their livelihood is abruptly put on hold to make way for troop “simulations” of seaborne attacks. The troops’ combat maneuvers reach the roads, farmlands, fishing areas, and yards.

Residents feel imprisoned in their own houses while the “simulated war” “rages” outside their gates. They receive no aid for daily survival. They receive no compensation for the days they cannot work. After the “war,” the troops even leave behind bullet casings and other ammunition waste along the shores where children play.

Danger at sea

The presence of the US and its war games directly endangers Filipino fisherfolk. This December alone, the US launched a series of Maritime Cooperative Activities (MCA) as a “power projection” over disputed islands and formations in the South China Sea. The first one (December 9–10) took place west of Zambales, near the traditional fishing grounds of Scarborough Shoal. The US deployed different types of jet fighters and paraded the massive aircraft carrier USS Rafael Peralta.

China considered the activity a “provocation” that heightened tension in the sea. It resulted in a maritime standoff between Chinese and Filipino forces on December 11–12, which embroiled Filipino fisherfolk.

The US used the incident to justify the next MCA’s rapid launching (December 15–16). It sent the USS Robert Smalls, a guided-missile cruiser, to stoke the emerging confrontation and portray itself as the “savior” of the Philippines. This series of incidents is part of the broader pattern of US provocation, China’s counteractions, and the consequent harm to the livelihood and welfare of Filipino fisherfolk.