In a new era of emerging 21st century challenges and opportunities, the Biden Administration with bipartisan support revitalized its commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific, the fastest growing and most dynamic region in an increasingly multipolar world. The U.S. seeks to engage in setting high labor and environmental standards, high quality infrastructure, resilient supply chains and transparent and predictable digital services trade. A robust and modernized US-Philippines alliance adapted to address geopolitical tensions and post-pandemic recovery holds an important and strategic value to securing a prosperous, stable and international rules-based order in the region.

By March 2022, the U.S. had donated more than 33.3 million COVID-19 vaccines to Filipinos. The U.S. through USAID in partnership with the private sector and civil society has also provided $39 million in COVID-19 assistance to boost testing, protect and train healthcare workers, deploy vaccines and supply PPEs, ventilators, ICU beds and improve access to water and sanitation.

Following the November 2021 Bilateral Strategic Dialogue, the United States and the Philippines moved forward in the area of security and defense. The annual U.S. military and PH AFP Balikatan exercise, March 28-April 8, focuses on maritime security, aviation operations, counterterrorism, and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief. A series of senior level U.S. and PH military exchanges continued to foster open communication lines and close cooperation.

The U.S. has provided reassurances to the Philippines on its commitment to freedom of navigation, maritime law and international law. The State Department released an in-depth legal analysis "Limits in the Seas No. 150 China's Maritime Claim," a public resource to analyze maritime claims and draw attention to the requirements of international law as reflected in the 1982 Convention on the Law of the Sea and the 2016 decision of the arbitral tribunal on the South China Sea. In support of the PH AFP modernization program, the U.S. recently delivered four Skyhawk aircraft to improve the PH Navy's ability to monitor and safeguard PH maritime territories and domain. 

A vital step to assuring strong diplomatic leadership in the region, the White House nominated senior foreign service officer MaryKay Carlson to become Ambassador to the Philippines. The Society looks forward to working with the new ambassador in support of shared U.S. and Philippine interests.