Villamor Air Base, Pasay City
July 20, 2025

“It is my first visit to Washington following the inauguration of President Trump earlier this year. I’m happy to note that this visit is the first by an ASEAN Head of State to the United States under this administration,” President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. remarked when he delivered his departure statement at the Villamor Air Base in Pasay City.

The President is undertaking a two-day Official Visit to the United States of America (U.S.A.) upon the invitation of U.S. President Donald J. Trump.

In his speech, he emphasized that this visit follows a series of high-level engagements between the Philippines and the United States under the new Trump administration. These include meetings between foreign affairs officials, visits to Manila by the U.S. Secretary of Defense and the Director of National Intelligence, as well as the arrival of several bipartisan U.S. Congressional delegations.

“My visit to Washington, D.C., and most importantly, my meeting with President Trump, is essential to continuing to advance our national interests and strengthening our alliance,” the Chief Executive continued.

Likewise, the Philippine Government is set to reaffirm its commitment to foster the long-standing alliance with the United States. This enduring partnership serves as a catalyst for peace and a driver of development in the Asia-Pacific and the rest of the world.

“My top priority for this visit is to push for greater economic engagement, particularly through trade and investment between the Philippines and the United States,” he added.

Furthermore, he intends to convey to President Trump and his Cabinet that the Philippines is ready to enter into a bilateral trade agreement — one that promotes strong, mutually beneficial and future-oriented cooperation that is unique to the partnership between the two countries.

“I expect our discussions to focus on security and defense, of course, but also on trade. And we will see how much progress we can make when it comes to the negotiations with the United States concerning the changes that we would like to institute so as to be able to alleviate the effects of a very severe tariff schedule on the Philippines,” President Marcos Jr. concluded in his speech.

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