Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth hosted Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. at the Pentagon today, where the two leaders reaffirmed their commitment to the U.S.-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty and discussed shared security concerns in the Asia-Pacific region, as well as recent advances in the long-standing U.S.-Philippines alliance.
"Our storied alliance has never been stronger or more essential than it is today," Hegseth said. "Together, we remain committed to the mutual defense treaty. And this pact extends to armed attacks on our armed forces, aircraft or public vessels, including our Coast Guard, anywhere in the Pacific, including the South China Sea."
The United States has identified the Asia-Pacific region as its priority theater, and Hegseth said the U.S. would work with the Philippines and other like-minded nations there to advance President Donald J. Trump's peace through strength agenda.
"The United States is committed to achieving peace through strength, and willing to work with all nations who share this desire in the region," he said. "We do not seek confrontation, but we are and will be ready and resolute."
The Philippines has been a U.S. ally for seven decades now, and its position in the South China Sea makes it an ideal partner in the region.
"We're proud to support our mutual economic vitality, including your efforts to ... modernize your armed forces and collective defense," Hegseth told Marcos.
The secretary noted the success of the most recent iteration of the Balikatan military exercise, which involved the Philippines, the U.S. and more than 20 other nations.
"We've made rapid progress enhancing real deterrence and upholding a free and open Asia-Pacific through deepening our interoperability and expanding joint exercises, including the largest and most sophisticated exercise — Balikatan — ever conducted," he said.
Balikatan 2025, conducted April 21-May 9, was the 40th iteration of the annual exercise and involved more than 14,000 participants. The exercise assessed readiness across multiple domains, including air, land, sea, cyber, information and space.
But Hegseth noted that the U.S. and the Philippines are doing even more together.
"We're also deploying new cutting-edge missiles and ... unmanned systems, and revitalizing our defense industrial bases," he said. "Together, we must forge a strong shield of real deterrence for peace, ensuring the long-term security and prosperity for our nations."
The recent Balikatan exercise, Marcos said, has proven valuable, as evidenced by feedback from personnel within the Philippines military.
"When I see the officers who were involved, and I speak to the men and women who were involved, they say it was extremely useful," Marcos said. "Essentially, we've achieved our purpose, because they say they have learned a lot about how to operate together — not only with American forces — but also with ... forces around the Asia-Pacific and down to Australia and even to Canada and all of the other countries that have been involved."
Marcos stated that he is pleased with how the U.S. and the Philippines are working together to modernize the Philippine military.
"I believe that our alliance ... the United States and the Philippines, [has done a great deal] in terms of preserving the peace [and] in terms of preserving the stability of the South China Sea," he said. "But I would even go as far as to say in the entire Indo-Pacific region. And we are always very, very happy to continue to strengthen that relationship."