MANILA – President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. returned to the Philippines on Wednesday evening with over $21 billion worth of investment pledges and renewed commitments to deepen strategic cooperation between the Philippines and the United States.
Landing at around 10:07 p.m., Marcos capped off a high-level three-day official visit to Washington, D.C., which he said reaffirmed the breadth and depth of the two countries’ alliance across security, economic, and geopolitical areas.
“We reaffirmed our mutual commitment to further strengthening our longstanding alliance and growing our economies for the benefit of the people and in pursuit of our national interest,” the President said in his arrival statement.
In separate meetings with US President Donald Trump, Secretary of State and National Security Adviser Marco Rubio, and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Marcos stressed the importance of the alliance in maintaining peace and stability in the South China Sea and the broader Indo-Pacific region.
“We reaffirmed our ironclad commitment to the Mutual Defense Treaty,” he said, adding that discussions also covered cybersecurity, infrastructure resilience, and energy security.
“I thank the United States for its consistent support for the preservation of regional peace and stability and for upholding the rule of law in the South China Sea,” he added.
The United States also committed $15 million in new support for private sector initiatives under the Luzon Economic Corridor, in addition to $48 million in foreign assistance.
Marcos met with top executives from the semiconductor, healthcare, and infrastructure industries, securing investment commitments amounting to more than $21 billion.
He noted these pledges are expected to create thousands of jobs and help boost the country’s economic security and resilience.
The President also highlighted the need for fair trade practices between the two nations.
“We remain positive about the future of PH-US trade, including investment relations, especially in the context of economic security and fair, balanced, reciprocal trade,” he said.
Before concluding his trip, Marcos extended an invitation to President Trump to attend the ASEAN Summit in Manila next year, which will coincide with the 80th anniversary of Philippines–US diplomatic relations and the 75th anniversary of the Mutual Defense Treaty./PN
