The two-day visit of US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to the Philippines from today until tomorrow in the course of his first trip to Asia underscores the importance of closer defense cooperation between our two countries.
Hegseth will meet with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro to discuss deterrence measures against Beijing’s increasingly assertive actions in the disputed South China Sea.
The talks are also expected to lead to more significant support to Philippine security forces by the Trump administration.
According to chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell, Hegseth seeks to “advance security objectives with Philippine leaders…These engagements will drive ongoing efforts to strengthen our alliances and partnerships toward our shared vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific.” He added that the trip “comes as the United States builds on unprecedented cooperation with like-minded countries to strengthen regional security.”
US President Donald Trump’s “America First” foreign policy thrust has triggered concerns about the scale and depth of US commitment to the region. But Hegseth’s visit sends a strong message to China that bilateral relations between Washington and Manila stand on solid ground.
In his first telephone conversation with Teodoro in February, Hegseth reaffirmed the ironclad US commitment to the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty and its importance in maintaining a secure and prosperous Indo-Pacific.
This reassurance from a key ally is encouraging as our government is also modernizing our armed forces.
The two officials also discussed the importance of strengthening deterrence in the South China Sea by working with allies and partners. Their conversation also touched on enhancing the capabilities of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.
Hegseth’s visit is significant as it also underscores the continuing defense cooperation between the Philippines and the US.
The Philippine government hopes to receive additional military assistance from Washington despite the global pause on foreign aid announced by the Trump administration.
Philippine Ambassador to the US Jose Manuel “Babe” Romualdez has emphasized the US’ pause on global security foreign aid would not affect the Philippines.
“There will be no major changes for the Philippines. In fact, we are hoping to receive even more assistance as we push to modernize our Armed Forces as quickly as possible due to the challenges we face in the Indo-Pacific region.
“And our message to our friends in the US Congress is very simple: If our Armed Forces are strong, we can truly be a partner of the US.”
The Department of Foreign Affairs has confirmed the US has exempted the Philippines from its pause on global security foreign aid.
This is no doubt a welcome development as it confirms that the two countries remain committed to their treaty alliance and to efforts to further strengthen defense cooperation and interoperability.