Continued upward trajectory: US-Phl relations under Trump

Over the past two and a half weeks since President Donald Trump took his oath of office as the 47th President of the United States, we’re very pleased to note that our relationship with the US is very positive and continues in its upward trajectory.

While there are some issues surrounding the relationship – with one of them obviously involving the new US government’s immigration policy which may affect many Filipinos in the United States – we are confident that our longstanding alliance and special relations will enable us to resolve these concerns in a positive and mutually satisfactory manner.

At the onset, the general tenor has been very cordial and pleasant, beginning with that congratulatory phone call to then president-elect Donald Trump by President Marcos, who expressed his “continuing desire to strengthen” the relationship between the two countries which is “as deep as can possibly be” because it has been in existence for a very long time.

Subsequently, the call of US Secretary of State Marco Rubio to our Foreign Affairs Secretary Ricky Manalo – actually one of the first phone calls made by the former senator as Secretary of State – was also very encouraging, with the US Cabinet Secretary reiterating the ironclad commitment of the US to the Philippines under the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty, along with an exchange of views on how security cooperation and economic ties can be expanded for shared prosperity.

This was followed by our in-person meeting with Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro and National Security Advisor Michael Waltz, as well as Principal Deputy National Security Advisor Alex Wong and National Security Council Senior Director for Asia Ivan Kanapathy at the West Wing of the White House.

Just last Thursday, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had an introductory phone call with Secretary Teodoro to discuss the alliance and the importance of re-establishing deterrence in the South China Sea by working with allies and partners. Like State Secretary Rubio, Defense Secretary Hegseth also reaffirmed the “ironclad commitment” of the United States to the 1951 MDT and its importance in maintaining “a secure and prosperous Indo-Pacific.”

What was also significant was the discussion about enhancing the capability of the Armed Forces of the Philippines – which is another positive sign that the support for our AFP modernization program will continue, among them the $500-million long-term military financing  for the Philippines, which is an initial tranche as we will continue to work with our friends from both sides in the US Congress who all support this initiative.

On the economic front, the balance of trade between the US and the Philippines has generally been in our favor, considering that the US continues to be our largest export market, and the trade imbalance has not been very big, unlike other countries such as China, for example.

Before proceeding to Manila, I joined a luncheon forum where former Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross was one of the guests, together with former National Security Advisor Ambassador Robert O’Brien. Both men, who served under the first Trump administration, told us that nations that have a good relationship with the US on the aspect of defense and trade will always be favorably looked upon by President Trump – unlike some nations that they feel are “taking them for a ride,” so to speak, charging high tariffs for American goods entering their countries.

We have been doing the rounds not only in Washington, DC but in other states as well, interacting with business leaders and university students taking up foreign relations and diplomacy to strengthen not only our people-to-people ties but our economic relations to elevate the profile of the Philippines.

During an event arranged by the East-West Center in Washington on the growing trilateral partnership between the United States, Japan and the Philippines and how consequential this is for the Indo-Pacific, I spoke about the Reciprocal Access Agreement signed last July between the Philippines and Japan, mirroring the Philippines-US Visiting Forces Agreement that facilitates joint military training and exercises.

I underscored that the US and Japan have committed to bolstering the Philippines economically through initiatives that include coordinated infrastructure development along the Luzon Economic Corridor together with other like-minded partners, supporting the efforts of the Philippines to become economically resilient to withstand economic coercion.

There are so many things in the pipeline that we have been working on not only with regard to defense and security cooperation but on the economic aspect as well. As a matter of fact, we had a visit from a private American businessman who paid a courtesy call on the President – which is another encouraging indication that the Philippines is still very much in the radar of potential investors.

We will also be hosting a reception for the US-Philippines Society (USPS) co-chaired by the highly respected diplomat and former US Ambassador to the Philippines John Negroponte, and Ayala head Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala. Since its founding, the USPS has been a bridge connecting both nations to ensure continuity in the relationship from one administration to another – building on whatever has been achieved to make it grow and flourish even more.

A private, non-profit organization composed of American and Filipino businessmen, the US-Philippines Society has made it a mission to build on our longstanding ties and boost economic, trade and investment prospects between the United States and the Philippines. As I have continuously underscored on many occasions, the Philippines must be economically strong and resilient in order to become a strong as well as a reliable partner and ally of the United States.

*      *      *

Email: [email protected]