Malacañang confirmed Friday that President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. will travel to the United States from July 20 to 22, 2025 to meet with US President Donald Trump.
Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary and Palace Press Officer Claire Castro affirmed the announcement earlier made by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
In a press briefing, Castro told reporters she would defer to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to provide other details of the upcoming meeting between Marcos and Trump.
“The details are still being finalized… It is confirmed. But as regards the details, the agenda (of the meeting), the DFA will provide them,” Castro said.
“We are working with the U.S. State Department to finalize the details of the visit,” the DFA said in a statement.
Rubio—who is attending the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) foreign ministers’ meeting and related summits in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia this week—revealed on Thursday that Marcos is expected to pay Washington, DC a visit in the next few days.
The top American diplomat held a trilateral meeting with his Japanese and Filipino counterparts—Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya and Secretary Theresa Lazaro—during which Marcos’ upcoming visit to the US was discussed.
“We have a great relationship with Japan and the Philippines, and work very closely with them on the economic corridor, on maritime security, and territorial integrity—and continue to build upon that partnership, and look forward to hosting the president of the Philippines in Washington in a few days,” Rubio was quoted saying.
Philippine Ambassador to the United States Jose Manuel Romualdez told Agence France Presse (AFP) Friday that Marcos is set to meet with Trump, Rubio and US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to discuss “defense and economic ties.”
Manila and Washington have deepened their cooperation since Marcos took office in 2022 and began pushing back on Beijing’s South China Sea claims.
Bound by a 1951 mutual defense treaty, the two allies conduct frequent maritime exercises in the disputed waterway with Washington warning that it is committed to defend the Philippines if Filipino forces or vessels come under attack.
It will be the first official visit of Marcos to the US since Trump took office. —With Agence France Presse
Editor’s Note: This story has been updated. Originally posted with the headline “Rubio says Marcos to visit US soon.”
