President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and American President Joe Biden. AFP FILE PHOTOS
WASHINGTON D.C., United States — President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Sunday (US time) arrived here for his second visit to the US since he assumed office in June last year.
The plane carrying Marcos and the Philippine delegation arrived at the Joint Base Andrews at around 4;56 a.m. local time.
In his pre-departure speech in Manila on Sunday, Marcos said his second visit to the US would reinforce Manila and Washington’s strong bonds by bringing their alliance into the 21st century.
He said his meeting with his US counterpart Joe Biden, which will happen on Monday, is essential to advancing the two countries’ national interests and strengthening their alliance.
READ: US to reaffirm ‘ironclad commitment’ to PH defense at Biden-Marcos meeting on May 1
The president said that with this visit, the Philippines seeks to forge stronger ties with its long-standing ally, for a wide range of areas such as food security, digital economy, energy security, and climate change.
He also expects Manila and Washington to bolster relationships in the semiconductor industry, critical minerals, and renewable and clean energy, including nuclear.
Also among these are infrastructure projects which, Marcos said, will improve the Philippines’ digital and telecommunications systems and facilitate sustainability efforts to address climate change.
During his four-day visit, the president is also expected to meet with American business leaders to further promote trade and investment opportunities in the Philippines.
In these meetings, Marcos will be joined by his economic team as well as key Filipino business leaders to explore opportunities that would “serve to grow the [country’s] economy even more.
The President is also expected to meet with the Filipino community during his visit.
In an earlier statement, the White House said Washington is expected to reaffirm its “ironclad commitment” in the defense of the Philippines during the meeting between Marcos and Biden.
The two heads of state will tackle regional matters and joint efforts “to uphold international law and promote a free and open Indo-Pacific,” it added.
For his part, Marcos earlier said he would discuss and reexamine military cooperation deals between the US and the Philippines with Biden.
He said the Mutual Defense Treaty, as well as the Visiting Forces Agreement, between the Philippines and the US will be reviewed, saying it needs to evolve with the changing times.
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