Claim: “KAMANDAG ni PBBM Military Exercise” is the full name of the KAMANDAG joint military exercise between the Philippine Marine Corps (PMC) and the United States Marine Corps (USMC).

Rating: FALSE

Why we fact-checked this: The YouTube post containing the claim has over 3,700 likes, 821 comments, and 82,945 views as of writing.

The real name: According to the websites of the United States Indo-Pacific Command  (USINDOPACOM) and the United States Navy 7th Fleet, KAMANDAG is an acronym for the Filipino phrase “Kaagapay ng Mga Mandirigma ng Dagat.”  

KAMANDAG’s acronym is also spelled out by several news reports published by Rappler, Manila Bulletin, GMA News Online, and the Philippine News Agency (PNA).

Annual exercise since 2017: According to USINDOPACOM, the first KAMANDAG exercise was completed on October 16, 2017. The military exercise has since then become an annual event.

According to a PNA report published on October 3, 2022, the 2022 KAMANDAG military exercise is its sixth iteration. – Lorenz Pasion/Rappler.com

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