US reaffirms 'ironclad' commitment to PH-US defense, economic alliance
Philippine News Agency
By Ruth Abbey Gita-Carlos and Filane Mikee Cervantes
March 28, 2025, 11:18 am Updated on March 28, 2025, 1:51 pm
MANILA -- The United States' (US) commitment to its economic and defense alliance with the Philippines is "ironclad," its defense official said on Friday.
In a courtesy call at Malacañan Palace in Manila, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth assured President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. that US President Donald Trump is "very committed" to deepening Washington's alliance, friendship, and partnership with the Philippines.
"I had a chance to speak just a few minutes ago to our president, President Trump, who sends his regards to you as well (and) thinks very fondly of this great country," Hegseth told Marcos.
"And he and I both want to express the ironclad commitment we have to the Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) and to the partnership, economically, militarily, which our staffs have worked on diligently for weeks and weeks and months."
Hegseth said the US has a "great interest" in expanding its military cooperation with the Philippines, saying it is "mutually beneficial" and "critically important" for both countries.
He expressed optimism that he would have "deeper" conversations about the two nations' partnership during his stay in the Philippines.
"And thank you for your leadership in being a friend to the United States. We look forward to many more opportunities to work together," Hegseth said.
Marcos said being a friend to the US is "inherent with most Filipinos," considering the relationship the two countries have built over a hundred years in various forms.
The Philippines and the US established formal diplomatic relations on July 4, 1946.
The US is also the Philippines' oldest and only treaty ally.
Bilateral defense and security engagement remains a key pillar of the two nations' bilateral relations and is carried out within the framework of the MDT, the Visiting Forces Agreement, the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement, and other bilateral agreements.
The 1951 MDT, the longest-running defense pact, aims to step up the defense and security cooperation between Philippine and US troops.
Inked on Aug. 30, 1951, the MDT is an accord that stipulates that the Philippines and the US would support each other in case one of them is attacked by an external party.
Robust ties
House Speaker Martin Romualdez also welcomed Hegseth's visit, calling it a reaffirmation of the "deep, historic, and forward-looking alliance" between the two countries.
"His presence reaffirms the deep, historic, and forward-looking alliance that has long bound our two nations in friendship and shared purpose," he said in a statement.
Romualdez said Hegseth's visit underscores a shared commitment to regional peace, stability, and the rule of law especially amid heightened tensions in the South China Sea, where China has been increasingly assertive.
"The high-level discussions between Secretary Hegseth and Philippine officials reflect a unified vision: to fortify our defense cooperation and preserve the principles of freedom of navigation and respect for international norms," he said.
Romualdez said the alliance should extend beyond security matters.
"As Speaker of the House of Representatives, I believe this partnership should also serve as a platform for greater economic engagement - expanding trade, generating jobs, and creating opportunities that uplift the lives of ordinary Filipinos and Americans alike," he added.
He urged deeper collaboration between the two nations, working "hand in hand toward a free, open, secure, and prosperous Indo-Pacific."
The US Department of Defense said Manila is part of Hegseth's first trip to Asia, which also includes stops in Japan, Guam, and Hawaii.
"Secretary Hegseth's trip comes as the United States builds on unprecedented cooperation with like-minded countries to strengthen regional security," it said. (PNA)
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