| Image courtesy of Inquirer.USA
Over the past two and a half weeks, since President Donald Trump took his oath of office as the 47th President of the United States, we’re very pleased to note that our relationship with the US is very positive and continues on an upward trajectory.
While there are some issues surrounding the relationship—one of them involving the new US government’s immigration policy, which may affect many Filipinos in the United States—we are confident that our longstanding alliance and special relations will enable us to resolve these concerns in a positive and mutually satisfactory manner.
At the onset, the general tenor has been very cordial and pleasant, beginning with President Marcos’s congratulatory phone call to then-president-elect Donald Trump, in which he expressed his “continuing desire to strengthen” the relationship between the two countries, which is “as deep as can possibly be” because it has been in existence for a very long time.
Subsequently, the call of US Secretary of State Marco Rubio to our Foreign Affairs Secretary Ricky Manalo – actually one of the first phone calls made by the former senator as Secretary of State – was also very encouraging, with the US Cabinet Secretary reiterating the ironclad commitment of the US to the Philippines under the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty, along with an exchange of views on how security cooperation and economic ties can be expanded for shared prosperity.
This was followed by our in-person meeting with Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro, National Security Advisor Michael Waltz, Principal Deputy National Security Advisor Alex Wong, and National Security Council Senior Director for Asia Ivan Kanapathy at the West Wing of the White House.
Last Thursday, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had an introductory phone call with Secretary Teodoro to discuss the alliance and the importance of re-establishing deterrence in the South China Sea by working with allies and partners. Like State Secretary Rubio, Defense Secretary Hegseth also reaffirmed the United States’ “ironclad commitment” to the 1951 MDT and its importance in maintaining “a secure and prosperous Indo-Pacific.”
What was also significant was the discussion about enhancing the capability of the Armed Forces of the Philippines—another positive sign that support for our AFP modernization program will continue. Among them is the $500-million long-term military financing for the Philippines, an initial tranche. We will continue to work with our friends from both sides of the US Congress, who all support this initiative.
On the economic front, the trade balance between the US and the Philippines has generally been in our favor, considering that the US continues to be our largest export market. The trade imbalance has not been very big, unlike other countries such as China, for example.
“We have been doing the rounds not only in Washington, DC but in other states as well, interacting with business leaders and university students and engaging in foreign relations and diplomacy to strengthen not only our people-to-people ties but also our economic relations and elevate the profile of the Philippines.”
Before proceeding to Manila, I joined a luncheon forum where former Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross was one of the guests, together with former National Security Advisor Ambassador Robert O’Brien. Both men, who served under the first Trump administration, told us that nations that have a good relationship with the US on the aspect of defense and trade will always be favorably looked upon by President Trump – unlike some nations that they feel are “taking them for a ride,” so to speak, charging high tariffs for American goods entering their countries.
We have been doing the rounds not only in Washington, DC but in other states as well, interacting with business leaders and university students and engaging in foreign relations and diplomacy to strengthen not only our people-to-people ties but also our economic relations and elevate the profile of the Philippines.
During an event arranged by the East-West Center in Washington on the growing trilateral partnership between the United States, Japan, and the Philippines and how consequential this is for the Indo-Pacific, I spoke about the Reciprocal Access Agreement signed last July between the Philippines and Japan, mirroring the Philippines-US Visiting Forces Agreement that facilitates joint military training and exercises.
I underscored that the US and Japan have committed to bolstering the Philippines’ economic performance through initiatives that include coordinated infrastructure development along the Luzon Economic Corridor with other like-minded partners, supporting the country’s efforts to become economically resilient and withstand economic coercion.
We have been working on many things in the pipeline regarding defense and security cooperation and the economic aspect. In fact, we had a visit from a private American businessman who paid a courtesy call to the President—which is another encouraging indication that the Philippines is still very much on the radar of potential investors.
We will also be hosting a reception for the US-Philippines Society (USPS), co-chaired by the highly respected diplomat John Negroponte, former US Ambassador to the Philippines, and Ayala head Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala. Since its founding, the USPS has been a bridge connecting both nations to ensure continuity in the relationship from one administration to another—building on whatever has been achieved to make it grow and flourish even more.
A private, non-profit organization composed of American and Filipino businessmen, the US-Philippines Society has made it a mission to build on our longstanding ties and boost economic, trade, and investment prospects between the United States and the Philippines. As I have continuously underscored on many occasions, the Philippines must be economically strong and resilient to become a strong and reliable partner and ally of the United States.
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