MANILA, Philippines — The Malacañang Palace on Monday welcomed visiting United States President Barack Obama who will hold bilateral talks with President Benigno Aquino III.
Obama was given the traditional welcome ceremony at the Palace grounds past 2 p.m. and met with Aquino, his Cabinet officials and employees of the Malacañang.
The American leader, who was also accompanied by US Ambassador to the Philippines Philip Goldberg, then headed inside the Palace to sign the official guestbook.
The Official Gazette of the Philippines said in its Twitter account that the expanded bilateral meeting is now ongoing at the Aguinaldo State Dining Room.
Economic and security cooperation were among the issues on the agenda for Obama's private talks with Aquino on Monday, the first day of his overnight visit.
The two leaders are also expected to discuss the new Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) signed by the two nations earlier today.
Aimed at upgrading the military's capabilities in security and humanitarian concerns, the recently-signed deal will increase the presence of American troops here and will allow them to have greater access to Philippine bases.
After the bilateral talks, Obama and Aquino will be giving a joint statement. Later today, Obama will attend a state dinner at the Palace.
On Tuesday, Obama is set to pay his respects at the US military cemetery at Fort Bonitacio and address hundreds of troops stationed there before Air Force One brings him back to Washington.
The Philippines is the final leg of Obama's Asia tour, a trip aimed at reaffirming US defense commitments and shoring up relations with allies in the region.
He arrived from Malaysia, following earlier stops in Japan and South Korea, and was greeted by Filipino troops lined up on either side of a red carpet, wearing crisp white pants and blue jackets adorned with gold braiding.
At each stop along the way, Obama reaffirmed the U.S. treaty commitments to defend its Asian allies, including in their territorial disputes with China. - Louis Bacani with Darlene Superville, the Associated Press