Marcos says strong US-PH ties ‘as important as they have ever been’

The longstanding ties between the Philippines and the United States are as important as ever amid pressing geopolitical issues in the region and worldwide, President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. said Monday.

During a courtesy call of the US-Philippines Society to Malacañang, Marcos noted the importance of forging strong ties with allies amid issues such as the territorial disputes in the South China Sea and Russia's invasion of Ukraine. 

“And that is when we once again look to our friends and partners in the United States to be our treaty partner, and of course, our neighbors in ASEAN [Association of Southeast Asian Nations] and the entire Asia-Pacific extending up to the Indo-Pacific,”  the President said, using a term the US government uses for the region.

“So these partnerships have become as important as they have ever been in our entire joint history. And that is why I am very happy to see that the US-Philippines Society is so active," he added.“That relationship is extremely important certainly to the Philippines and I believe also to the United States. So thank you for this visit.” 

A private-sector non-profit organization, the US-Philippines Society says its aim is "to broaden and expand interaction and understanding through basic research and/or applied research in the areas of security, trade, investments, tourism, the environment, history, education and culture between the United States and the Philippines which would benefit the American public and the people of the Philippines."

As also reported by state-run PTV, the organization also bestowed its 2023 Carlos P. Romulo Award to "the Filipino Nurse" for their immense and invaluable service to public health during the COVID-19 pandemic. Department of Migrant Workers Secretary Susan Ople received the award on behalf of the nurses from society co-chair Ambassador John Negroponte. — BM, GMA Integrated News