Marcos arrives in Washington for official visit

WASHINGTON - Light rains greeted President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. as he arrived in the United States to begin his official visit that aims to strengthen the long-standing ties between the two countries.

The PR 001 flight, carrying Marcos and the entire Philippine delegation, landed at Joint Base Andrews at 4:56 p.m. of April 30 Washington time (4:56 a.m. of May 1, PH time).

The President and First Lady Louise "Liza" Araneta-Marcos were welcomed by Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, US Ambassador Jose Manuel Romualdez, his wife Maria Lourdes Romualdez, 89th Maintenance Group commander Colonel Bryan Bobeck, Deputy Assistant to the President and Coordinator for the Indo-Pacific Kurt Campbell, Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for East Asia Edgard Kagan, and Chief of Presidential Protocol Rufus Gifford.

Pres. Marcos Jr. and First Lady Louise “Liza” Marcos were welcomed by Speaker Martin Romualdez, US Ambassador Babe Romualdez, and other US officials. @gmanews @gmanewsbreaking pic.twitter.com/qackvECH1v

— ????Anna Felicia (@annafelicia_) April 30, 2023

Part of the Philippine delegation were former President and now Senior Deputy Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, Ilocos Representative Sandro Marcos, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla, National Security Adviser Eduardo Año, Defense officer-in-charge Senior Undersecretary Carlito Galvez Jr, Trade Secretary Alfredo Pascual, Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo, and Presidential Communications Office Secretary Cheloy Garafil, among others.

Marcos’ full schedule will begin on May 1 as he will have a bilateral talk with US President Joe Biden at the White House. This will be followed by an expanded bilateral meeting with other US officials.

According to the Department of Foreign Affairs, talks about defense and security will surely be part of the meeting between the two heads of state.

This will include defense agreements as Marcos earlier said the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty with the US need to evolve as the security situation, concerning other countries, also develops.

Aside from that, Marcos is also expected to promote the Philippine economic agenda and court American businessmen to invest in the Philippines.

It is also likely that he will allot time to meet with the Filipino community in Washington, the DFA has said.

The official visit of Marcos to the US came after additional Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) sites were announced by the Philippine government in early April.

Further, this came in light of the recently-concluded Balikatan Exercises between Filipino and American troops wherein Marcos even witnessed a live fire drill in Zambales province.

It will also take place as the tension between the US and China escalates due to the issue in Taiwan. Beijing claims democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory.

The US has since committed to defend the Philippines from any kind of aggression. Washington has also vowed to uphold international law and promote a free and open Indo-Pacific. —KG, GMA Integrated News