By Shirin Bhandari | 2025-09-16

The Philippines has inaugurated a new military base in its northernmost province of Batanes, a chain of islands about 140km south of Taiwan. The outpost in Mahatao is Manila's most significant military development in the Luzon Strait to date and underscores concerns about China's rising naval presence and the risk of conflict spilling over from Taiwan.

The military activated the Mahatao Forward Operating Base August 28 to host Philippine naval and marine units tasked with monitoring the Luzon Strait and defending the Batanes islands.

The facility will strengthen territorial defense, improve maritime domain awareness and enhance disaster response, says the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

Defending the north, preparing for Chinese aggression

Mahatao "strengthens our ability to defend the northern frontier," Northern Luzon Command (Nolcom) chief Lt. Gen. Fernyl Buca said in a statement, according to Inquirer.net.

Nolcom described the base as the largest Philippine military development in Batanes and a gateway for defense and humanitarian operations.

The new outpost highlights the Philippines' growing willingness to prepare for conflict scenarios around Taiwan, analysts say.

"It closes the gaps on national security against frequent incursions of foreign aggressors, particularly that Batanes is a front line province just below Taiwan," maritime analyst Chester Cabalza told the Philippine Daily Inquirer.

The facility "serves as a contingency base in case of war in the Taiwan Strait," he said.

A strait's growing strategic value

China's ever-expanding presence in disputed waters alarms both Manila and Taipei and highlights the strategic value of the Luzon Strait.

In August, Philippine forces sighted three armed Chinese coast guard ships near Batanes -- the first time they had appeared so far north. Chinese incursions in the South China Sea remain frequent despite the 2016 arbitration ruling that invalidated Beijing's sweeping claims over most of that sea.

At the same time, China has stepped up military pressure on Taiwan, simulating blockades and sending naval flotillas through the strait. Such activities could destabilize nearby waters, Manila fears.

Almost 200,000 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) live and work in Taiwan.

"War over Taiwan will drag the Philippines kicking and screaming into the conflict," President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said last month, citing both proximity and the large Filipino community in Taiwan.

Retired Vice Adm. (ret.) Rommel Ong, a former Philippine navy vice commander, agreed.

"We will be dragged into the conflict," he told Philstar.com.

If Beijing intends to launch a physical attack on Taiwan, controlling the Bashi Channel would be essential, said Ong. To control it, China would likely be "compelled to occupy key islands in the Batanes Group of Islands because of its strategic location," he said.

Redeploying the marines

To prepare for this possibility, Philippine marines previously assigned to Mindanao were redeployed to Batanes starting in 2022. They now man strategic outposts including Mavulis Island, only 140km from Taiwan.

Forward deployments in Batanes send a vital message, said Ong: "The best long-term solution for the country is to deter China now by strengthening our defenses, disrupting their current calculations, and deterring it."

Cooperation with allies

Allies both near and far are aiding the Philippines.

Washington is deepening security coordination with its allies across the strategic first island chain, a line of territories stretching from Japan through Taiwan and the Philippines that US planners view as critical to countering Chinese military power.

The United States and Australia have joined the Philippines in recent years for war games rehearsing the defense of Batanes. They feature US systems such as the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS), Navy-Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS) and Typhon mid-range missile launchers.

Those weapons threaten regional peace and stability, China's Defense Ministry says.

The Philippines and Australia have signed a statement of intent to pursue a Defense Cooperation Agreement, which is expected to be finalized in 2026.

Australia will soon gain access to Philippine military infrastructure while supporting construction and upgrades at five sites.

The projects will enhance interoperability, expand joint capability and strengthen the Philippines' territorial defense under its Comprehensive Archipelagic Defense Concept, Canberra said.

Japan has expanded defense ties with the Philippines, while Taiwan has urged closer cooperation with like-minded partners to prepare for contingencies.

A broad strategic shift under way

The Mahatao base therefore signals a broader strategic shift in Manila's defense outlook.

Beyond securing the Batanes community, it places the Philippines more firmly in regional security dynamics at the doorstep of Taiwan.

Whether the facility becomes a stabilizing presence or a future flashpoint may depend on regional powers' ability to navigate rising tensions.

This shift in strategy is reflected in the expansion of Philippine maritime capabilities. The Philippines on September 15 welcomed the BRP Diego Silang, its second Miguel Malvar-class frigate built by HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, during an arrival ceremony at Subic, Zambales province.

Filipino military chief Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. called the ship a "symbol of our nation's resolve to defend what is rightfully ours."