THE first official visit of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. to the United States was first announced by the White House, then confirmed by Malacañang. The visit was to start on Sunday, April 30 and end on May 4, with the highlight being Marcos’ one-on-one talk with US President Joseph Biden.
Foremost on the agenda of the two presidents’ dialogue are defense and security matters, considering the ongoing geopolitical tension in both the South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait, two places where American foreign policy gives considerable importance.
Officials said the trip’s purpose is to reaffirm the special relationship between Manila and Washington. But this is already “iron-clad” as attested to by top American officials who visited the Philippines, among them Vice President Kamala Harris. It seems weird that the “iron-clad” relationship would need reaffirmation every month.
‘Climate change, agriculture, and trade are gut issues that Filipinos are clearly interested in, but…’
The official line from the Palace is that Marcos will push for closer partnership in agriculture, energy, climate change, and disaster relief, among others. This is more like it, more direct to the point. The President will look into the possibility of accessing some financial help from the West in the form of “green bonds” that can be used to mitigate climate change in the Philippines.
“Many things have changed, climate change has become a huge issue and we want to see what else we can do, what strategies we can take. The US has something called a green bond. That means they can offer funds to help us,” Marcos said.
Climate change, agriculture, and trade are gut issues that Filipinos are clearly interested in, but these items will have to take a back seat when the real reason for the trip is put on the table — defense and security cooperation between Manila and Washington, which has taken on a more relevant and compelling character now than when the Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) was signed in 1951.
“Of course we will clarify again the treaty agreement between the Philippines and America and we have to look at it because of several changes,” said the President, who has revealed his pro-US card on several occasions, the most telling of which is when he approved the inclusion of four more sites to the list of military facilities the US can use under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement.
The Chief Executive talked of evolving and adjusting the provisions of the MDT “because of the changes in the situation we are facing in the South China Sea, the developments in Taiwan and North Korea, our situation is heating up somehow.” The Philippines has become a fulcrum of the geopolitical contest between the US and China.
The MDT aims to strengthen the military capabilities of the Philippines and the US, their interoperability and ability to come to the aid of each other in times of actual attack inside their territories. The treaty has never been invoked in the wake of two such attacks in recent memory: the 911 Twin Towers in New York and the Marawi “siege” in Lanao.
When Marcos meets Biden on May 1, the two nations may see more concrete signs of unity and cooperation in defense, security, economy and environment, which should redound to the benefit of both countries.
