MANILA, March 3 (Reuters) - The Philippines wants to expand its annual bilateral war games with the United States to a larger exercise involving other countries in the region, its military chief said on Monday.

General Hermogenes Esperon said Manila wanted to create a web of security alliances in the Asia-Pacific region to deal with traditional security issues as well as non-military threats, such as disasters and disease.

"It's better to do things together, and we not only talk of the security of the Philippines, but the security of the region," Esperon told soldiers at an air force base north of the capital at the end of this year's exercises with the United States.

"There are advantages into going multilateral. Our country is an archipelago but we do share a lot of common areas with our neighbouring states."

Manila has informal security arrangements with Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam which Esperon said must be formalised and deepened by agreements.

Last year, Manila signed a military agreement with Canberra allowing Australian troops to train and hold exercises in the Philippines, an arrangement similar to the United States.

U.S. forces routinely train and advise Philippine military units, build roads, bridges, schools, clinics and conduct other humanitarian activities as part of joint efforts with Washington's closest ally in the region to fight Muslim militants.

The annual Balikatan (shoulder-to-shoulder) exercises are large-scale conventional war games and cross-training activities to rehearse the two countries' defence plan against foreign aggression based on a 1951 Mutual Defence Treaty.

About 6,000 U.S. troops had taken part in almost three weeks of conventional war games and humanitarian missions in different parts of the country this year, rehearsing a military plan to defend the Philippines against external aggression.

A small number of U.S. soldiers went to Muslim communities in the southern Philippines in a "hearts and minds" campaign in areas where Islamic militants operate. (Reporting by Manny Mogato; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan and Sanjeev Miglani)

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