Philippines' President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Secretary of National Defense Gilberto C. Teodoro, Jr. received United States Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III during his fourth visit to the Philippines on November 18, 2024. They celebrated the remarkable strides the United States and the Philippines have made to expand and modernize the alliance and reinforced their shared vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific. Secretary Austin announced the U.S. commitment to support the Philippines' response to Super Typhoon Pepito, including through $1 million in additional humanitarian assistance from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).
During their discussions, the leaders discussed defense cooperative activities, as well as regional security concerns. Specifically, they highlighted the need for deeper coordination to address challenges in the South China Sea, where lawful operations by the Philippines have encountered repeated harassment by the People's Republic of China. Secretary Austin underscored continued U.S. support for the Philippines in defending its sovereign rights and jurisdiction. He reaffirmed the Department's commitment to bolstering the Philippines' defense capabilities and capacity to resist coercion.
During his stop at Camp Aguinaldo, Secretary Austin and Secretary Teodoro signed a General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA), a critical step to enhance information sharing and deepen interoperability. The Secretaries also co-led the groundbreaking ceremony for a new bilateral Combined Coordination Center (CCC). These bilateral undertakings will improve joint efforts to plan bilateral exercises, operations, and humanitarian response efforts in order to address common challenges in the Indo-Pacific region.
As part of his visit to the Philippines, Secretary Austin traveled to Palawan on November 19, 2024, where he and Secretary Teodoro visited Antonio Bautista Airbase, one of nine Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) sites, as well as the Philippines Western Command, or WESCOM, which leads Philippine efforts in the South China Sea. The leaders discussed efforts to advance operational planning and deepen bilateral and multilateral cooperation with like-minded partners in the South China Sea. Secretary Austin reaffirmed the ironclad U.S. commitment to the Philippines and reiterated that the U.S.-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty, which extends to both countries' armed forces, public vessels, and aircraft—including those of its Coast Guard—anywhere in the South China Sea.
The leaders also visited a bilateral C2 Fusion Center—one of several built by USINDOPACOM in the Philippines to enhance information sharing. They observed a demonstration of a T-12 Unmanned Surface Vessel, one of several unmanned capabilities that the United States has provided to the Philippine Navy through Foreign Military Financing, which are instrumental to advance the Armed Forces of the Philippines' (AFP's) intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) and maritime domain awareness (MDA) capabilities. They discussed how the AFP can further leverage innovative technologies to protect and defend Philippine sovereignty in its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
The engagements of both the Philippine and U.S. Defense Secretaries further reaffirm the strength of the alliance and underscore both nations' commitment to peace, security, and shared values in the Indo-Pacific region.
