Secretary of National Defense (SND) Gilberto C. Teodoro, Jr., along with Philippine Ambassador to the United States Jose Manuel G. Romualdez, under the instructions of President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr., and in coordination with Philippine National Security Adviser Secretary Eduardo Año, met with newly appointed U.S. National Security Advisor Mike Waltz at the White House today reaffirming the enduring alliance between the Philippines and the United States.
The meeting took place two days after President Donald Trump assumed office. The Philippines, represented by Secretary Teodoro, is among the first countries to engage with the new U.S. administration to discuss critical security matters.
Secretary Teodoro extended the Philippines’ congratulations to the U.S. on a successful transition of leadership, emphasizing the shared commitment to peace, stability, and mutual security interests in the region. He highlighted the importance of strengthening bilateral defense ties in addressing emerging geopolitical challenges.
NSA Waltz also expressed his appreciation of President Marcos’ efforts to uphold freedom of navigation and a rules-based international order.
Secretary Teodoro also met with Principal Deputy National Security Advisor Alex Wong Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Andrew Byers, and NSC Senior Director for Asia Ivan Kanapathy.
NSA Waltz and his team underscored the need to enhance cooperation with the Philippines and looked forward to increasing mutual security activities in support of a free and global Indo-Pacific, an initiative dating back to Trump’s first presidency.
This engagement marked a significant step in further advancing the decades-long alliance between the Philippines and the United States, signaling a renewed commitment to collaboration under the Trump administration. Both sides expressed optimism about deepening defense and security cooperation in the years ahead.