New York, March 10 (AseanAll) — Philippine President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. met on March 9, 2026 with United States Defense officials to discuss efforts aimed at accelerating the Philippines–United States defense partnership.
Marcos had a meeting with U.S. Undersecretary of War for Policy Eldridge Colby and his delegation in New York.
The meeting focused on strengthening deterrence in the Indo-Pacific and improving interoperability between the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the United States military through joint operations such as Exercise Balikatan, which will begin next month.
Both sides also reaffirmed their mutual commitment to the Mutual Defense Treaty and to continue working together for a stable and secure Indo-Pacific region.
Exercise Balikatan is the largest annual, bilateral military drill between the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the U.S. military, strengthening the alliance, enhancing interoperability, and boosting regional security.
The U.S. Department of War is now officially the Department of Defense (DOD). Its mission is to provide military forces necessary to protect the security of the United States.
