The Philippine Army and the Australian Army formally opened the Philippines-Australia Army-to-Army Exercise "Kasangga" 2026-02 on October 19 at the 8th Division Training School (8DTS) in Barangay Fatima, Hinabangan, Samar, according to the Philippine Army.
The nearly month-long bilateral exercise is hosted by the Army's 8th Infantry "Stormtroopers" Division (8ID), the unit responsible for the Eastern Visayas region.
144 Filipino Troops, 90 Australians Join the Drills
A total of 234 soldiers are participating in the exercise. The Philippine Army said 144 Filipino troops are drawn from five units: the 8th Division Training School, the 63rd Infantry Battalion, the 543rd Engineer Construction Battalion, the 7th Cavalry Company, and the 803rd Community Defense Center.
They are training alongside 90 soldiers from the Australian Army, making this one of the larger bilateral ground force exercises conducted under the Kasangga program.
Interoperability and Warfighting Functions at the Core
According to the Philippine Army, this iteration focuses on interoperability and the exchange of operational knowledge, tactical expertise, and best practices across warfighting functions. These include command and control, intelligence, maneuver, fires, sustainment, and force protection.
The Philippine Army said that regular iterations of Kasangga are designed to improve the ability of the two armies to operate together in combined operations.
Second Round of the Exercise This Year
Kasangga 2026-02 is the second time the exercise has been conducted in 2026. The first iteration, Kasangga 2026-01, was held in the area of responsibility of the 9th Infantry Division in the Bicol Region and concluded in June at Camp Elias Angeles in Pili, Camarines Sur.
The exercise name draws from the Filipino word kasangga, meaning "ally" or "partner," reflecting the bilateral nature of the program.
Exercise Has Rotated Across Army Divisions Since 2024
In recent years, the Kasangga exercise has been held twice annually and has rotated across different Philippine Army division areas. Earlier iterations were staged in Isabela and Camarines Sur in 2024, and in Cagayan de Oro and Capiz in 2025, before moving to the Bicol Region and now Eastern Visayas in 2026.
Photos released by the 8th Infantry Division Public Affairs Office show Filipino and Australian troops in formation at the 8DTS grounds during the opening rites on October 19.
Photo credit: Photo courtesy of 8th Infantry Division Public Affairs Office