Philippine Ambassador to the United States Jose Manuel Romualdez announced on Sunday that the upcoming visit of US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth to the Philippines is aimed at bolstering the modernization efforts of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).
Romualdez highlighted that Hegseth is scheduled to meet with President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. during his visit.
He further emphasized that this visit underscores the importance of the longstanding defense alliance between the Philippines and the United States.
“It’s also important that we take advantage of our situation now that we’re on the radar screen of the US. Because we have a role to play in the defense strategy of the US, as well as our other allies like Japan and Australia,” Romualdez said in an interview.
“We are positioning ourselves to take advantage of it to modernize our Armed Forces. At the same time, with the attention that’s being given to us, we also ask them to help us with our economy. Our economy needs to be strong so we can get the resources to buy equipment or weapons that we need for any eventuality that there is a conflict in the Indo-Pacific region,” he added.
The US Defense Department announced that Hegseth’s visit to the Philippines aims to strengthen alliances and promote a free and open Indo-Pacific.
The Trump administration had previously exempted $336 million in aid for Philippine security modernization from a foreign aid freeze, allowing key projects to continue.
This support is vital as the Philippines seeks to enhance its maritime capabilities amid China’s aggressive actions in the West Philippine Sea.