TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. expressed concern about a potential Taiwan Strait conflict during a press conference on Monday.

"In the Philippines, we do not have a choice (not to be involved) because Taiwan is so close to the Philippines and we have almost 200,000 Filipino nationals living and working in Taiwan," he said, according to Jiji Press. He added that his country is urging Taiwan to seek a peaceful solution to cross-strait tensions.

Despite his concerns, Marcos said the Philippines would not intervene in the Taiwan issue. He is scheduled to meet with Japanese Minister Takaichi Sanae in Japan next week.

Former Vice Commander of the Philippine Army Leodevic B. Guinid said in April that the Philippines is already formulating contingency plans for civilian evacuation if a Taiwan contingency broke out, per Liberty Times. Guinid suggested that the northern Philippines could serve as a staging ground for military forces and as the nearest haven for civilian evacuation. However, he emphasized that the Philippines would require assistance from partners, including Taiwan, Japan, and the US.

Last year, Taiwanese and Philippine government officials and advisers revealed that the Philippine Coast Guard conducted patrols with their Taiwanese counterparts in the Bashi Channel, according to the Washington Post. Taiwan also sent Navy and Marine Corps personnel to observe the 2025 Kamandag joint exercise led by the US and Philippine Marines, they said.

The Taiwanese officers participated in tabletop planning, according to a government adviser. “Our security and military cooperation with the Philippines is going to get closer and closer,” he said.

The Philippines recently hosted the 2026 Balikatan military exercise, which ran from April 20 to May 8. More than 17,000 troops from the US, Japan, France, the UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand participated in the exercise. They conducted air defense exercises, live-fire counter-landing exercises, and other drills.