The Philippines can assert its claim on the South China Sea without resorting to increased militarization and dependence on the US, a forum in Manila heard on April 25.

Speakers at the hybrid forum said the US has taken advantage of the Philippines' dispute with China over the strategic waterway to expand its access to the Southeast Asian country's military bases.

The hybrid forum, organized by Freedom from Debt Coalition (FDC) and Stop the War Coalition Philippines, was held amid the ongoing US-Philippine military exercise, known as Balikatan (shoulder-to-shoulder).

Rene Ofreneo, FDC's president, said that the US has dragged the Philippines into its rivalry with China. He said with the country caught in between the two global superpowers, "how do we position ourselves? We need to learn from other Asian countries".

Ofreneo cited Malaysia and Vietnam, both of which have asserted their claims on the South China Sea but still managed to balance their relations with both China and the US. He said that instead of being overly reliant on the US, the Philippines could assert its national independence and in the process gain more respect from the international community.

Merci Llarinas-Angeles, co-founder of Peace Women Partners, Philippines, said the Philippines has been increasing military spending in the past few years, with the US contributing to these funds. But while there's nothing wrong with improving Philippine defense capabilities, Llarinas-Angeles said such an initiative should not be "under the dictates of another foreign power".

She said that the Philippines is "a military modernization which is controlled, designed and owned by Filipinos".

The rise in Philippine military expenditure reflects a global trend. Global military spending has increased following the outbreak of the Palestine-Israel conflict and the Ukraine crisis with over $2.4 trillion spent in 2023 alone, according to Chloe Meulewaeter, campaign coordinator of the Global Campaign on Military Spending.

She said prioritizing military expansion and modernization was done at the expense of resolving pressing issues such as poverty, inequality, and climate change.

"War costs us the earth," Meulewaeter said, adding that funding for the military can be reallocated to support social development and climate transition.

Ofreneo said the world needs a global movement that will promote a pro-people agenda of peacemaking. In the case of the Philippines, Ofreneo said the country needs a "different Balikatan" – one that promotes peace, social justice and sustainable development.

prime@chinadailyapac.com