On 16 February 2026, senior officials of the Republic of the Philippines and the United States of America met in Manila for the 12th Philippines-United States Bilateral Strategic Dialogue (BSD). First convened in 2011, the BSD serves as the annual platform to discuss the full range of political, security, and economic cooperation between the United States and the Philippines; exchange views on current challenges and strategic bilateral priorities; and identify new collaborative initiatives as friends, partners, and Allies.
This year, the Philippines and the United States commemorate 80 years of diplomatic relations, the 75th anniversary of our Alliance, all while the Philippines chairs ASEAN.
Both sides recalled the following milestones achieved since the previous BSD, such as:
- The meeting between Presidents Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. and Donald J. Trump in Washington, DC;
- The convening of the “2+2” State and Defense Ministerial Dialogue held for the first time in Manila, in 2024;
- The co-hosting of “Reinforcing Cooperation to Achieve a Secure and Stable Maritime Domain” Ministerial Meeting by Secretary Ma. Theresa P. Lazaro and Secretary Marco Rubio;
- The identification of more than 500 military exercises and exchanges in 2024, 2025, and 2026, and the deployment of high-end capabilities, including the Navy-Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS) as part of Exercise BALIKATAN in 2025;
- The staging of the largest and most complex iteration of exercise BALIKATAN;
- The launch of the Luzon Economic Corridor’s (LEC) first project, a freight rail project connecting Subic and Clark;
- Appropriation in Fiscal Year 2026 of an additional $144 million for the Department of War to invest in Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) sites, with a bilateral commitment to focus on EDCA site infrastructure development;
- The signing of a Memorandum of Understanding Concerning Cooperation to Diversify Global Critical Minerals Supply Chains and Promote Investments;
- U.S. support to three Philippine-led disaster responses, including Department of War relief airlifts to Batanes and Catanduanes islands;
- Holding of our countries’ first-ever space dialogue in 2024 and the Philippines’ signing of the Artemis Accords in 2025; and
- The convening of four secretary/minister of defense-level meetings between the United States, Philippines, Japan, and Australia to strengthen multilateral cooperation.
Strengthening the Alliance to Reestablish Deterrence in the Indo-Pacific
Both sides underscored their unwavering commitment to uphold a free, open, prosperous, and secure Indo-Pacific, grounded in mutual respect for sovereignty, territorial integrity, international law, and the peaceful resolution of disputes. They committed to maintaining a vigilant posture in the Indo-Pacific to prevent conflict and to developing strong measures along with the deterrence to keep sea lanes open and not subject to arbitrary control by one country. Collective defense is critical to denying and deterring aggression anywhere in the First Island Chain.
Philippine and U.S. officials reaffirmed both countries’ commitment to the 1951 United States-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT), the founding document of the Alliance. They also reiterated that the MDT extends to armed attacks against either country’s armed forces, aircraft, and public vessels – including those of their coast guards – anywhere in the Pacific, including the South China Sea.
They underscored their support for preserving freedom of navigation and overflight, unimpeded lawful commerce, and other lawful uses of the sea for all nations. Both sides condemned China’s illegal, coercive, aggressive, and deceptive activities in the South China Sea, recognizing their adverse effects on regional peace and stability and the economies of the Indo-Pacific and beyond.
The two sides further welcomed improved multilateral cooperation with like-minded partners, including Australia and Japan, to enhance regional security.
In 2026, both sides committed to:
- Hold the fifth “2+2” Ministerial Dialogue, to be hosted by the United States
- Enhance joint capabilities, interoperability, and exercise execution for more realistic conditions to support readiness in contingencies, including support to civilian-led disaster response;
- Accelerate and streamline implementation and tracking of the Philippines Security Sector Assistance Roadmap;
- Prioritize utilization of available Foreign Military Financing towards mutually determined priority capabilities to modernize the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine Coast Guard and enhance collective defense and deterrence;
- Continue to preposition humanitarian relief commodities for Philippines civilian disaster response authorities at key EDCA sites and coordinate military support to civilian-led disaster responses;
- Enhance Philippines’ capacity to monitor and respond to maritime challenges and illegal maritime activity, such as illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing;
- Continue and work to increase deployments of U.S. cutting-edge missile and unmanned systems to the Philippines.
- Expand and modernize the Philippines’ civilian and military cyber defense capabilities and ability to detect and disrupt cyber threats;
- Hold the fourth bilateral maritime dialogue;
- Hold a foreign minister-level trilateral policy dialogue with Japan;
- Increase the tempo of multilateral cooperation with like-minded countries, including through maritime cooperative activities, bilateral and multilateral exercises, and security cooperation coordination.
Advancing Our Shared Economic Prosperity
Recognizing economic security and resilience as integral to national security, both sides reaffirmed the importance of bolstering mutually beneficial economic engagement to strengthen the Alliance, with a priority focus on commercial diplomacy.
Recognizing the importance of energy security to national security, both sides endorsed growing and deepening cooperation on energy supply, resilience, and critical infrastructure. These areas support regional deterrence by reducing strategic vulnerabilities, demonstrating long-term commitment to Philippine sovereignty, and supporting long-term economic growth.
Both sides decided to:
- Continue strengthening defense industrial base resiliencies to advance regional and economic security and mutual prosperity;
- Catalyze private sector development with a focus on the areas of transport, logistics, energy, and semiconductors;
- Hold the first Luzon Economic Corridor (LEC) Investment Forum in Manila in 2026 to drive new investments and unleash additional private sector opportunities, in coordination with Japan and other likeminded partners;
- Develop reliable energy infrastructure that supports economic activity in the LEC necessary to advance joint defense co-production capabilities in strategic sectors; build manufacturing and data centers for emerging technology development; and ensure resilient energy supplies to enable humanitarian assistance, disaster risk reduction, and other critical operations that benefit the Filipino people;
- Strengthen civil nuclear cooperation by continuing to work with off-takers including utilities and data centers and organizing a trade mission to the United States to connect leading U.S. nuclear technology companies with the Philippine private sector. Additionally, through the Fulbright Program, the United States is sending experts to the Philippines to help develop nuclear-focused curricula and credentialing programs, building local capacity to construct and operate state-of-the-art nuclear reactors. The United States will also provide $1.5 million through the Department of State’s Foundational Infrastructure for Responsible Use of Small Modular Reactor Technology (FIRST) program to build an SMR control room simulator in the Philippines, ensuring nuclear development in the region is consistent with the highest standards of nuclear safety, security, and nonproliferation;
- Deepen cooperation between the Philippines and U.S. government entities such as the U.S. Department of Commerce, U.S. International Development Finance Corporation, the U.S. Trade and Development Agency, and the U.S. Department of Energy to foster private sector-led investments in strategic sectors, such as transport, digital, energy, infrastructure, agribusiness, and health security in the Philippines;
- Expand bilateral collaboration to establish secure and standards-based critical minerals supply chains; and
- Recognizing the United States’ historic announcement of $250 million to support health security of the Filipino people, deepen bilateral partnerships on health-related diplomacy.
Partnering to Counter Transnational Organized Crime and Protect Fundamental Freedoms and the Rule of Law
Philippine and U.S. officials discussed their long-standing partnership to promote bilateral and regional cooperation on peace and security issues. Both sides highlighted their shared resolve to counter international crime, the dangerous flow of narcotics, and instability caused by illegal immigration, as well as to uphold freedom of expression and other human rights. Both sides committed to continue their close counterterrorism cooperation.
Both sides decided in 2026 to:
- Deepen diplomatic and law enforcement cooperation to combat cybercrime, online scam centers, and the production and trafficking of illicit synthetic drugs and precursor chemicals;
- Discuss challenges and solutions to increasing information sharing to disrupt terrorist travel; and
- Strengthen bilateral discussion and exchange on best practices for combatting transnational repression.
Strengthening Multilateral Cooperation
Both sides discussed their respective and shared multilateral priorities, and identified opportunities for closer cooperation, particularly during 2026 as the Philippines serves as ASEAN Chair.
Both sides:
- Reaffirmed the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait;
- Strongly opposed any threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state;
- Agreed to hold a foreign minister-level trilateral policy dialogue with Japan;
- Reaffirmed their commitment to a free, safe, prosperous, and secure Indo-Pacific that upholds shared principles including territorial integrity, sovereignty, sovereign rights and jurisdiction, and the peaceful resolution of disputes; and
- Committed to close coordination on shared priorities throughout 2026 as the Philippines serves as the Chair of ASEAN.
