The Market Monitor Minding the Nation's Business
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Secretary of National Defense Gilberto C. Teodoro, Jr. received United States Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III during his fourth visit to the Philippines on November 18, 2024.
They celebrated the remarkable strides the United States and the Philippines have made to expand and modernize the alliance and reinforced their shared vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific.
Secretary Austin announced the U.S. commitment to support the Philippines’ response to Super Typhoon Pepito through $1 million in additional humanitarian assistance from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).
During their discussions, the leaders discussed defense cooperative activities, as well as regional security concerns. Specifically, they highlighted the need for deeper coordination to address challenges in the South China Sea, where lawful operations by the Philippines have encountered repeated harassment by the People’s Republic of China.
Secretary Austin underscored continued U.S. support for the Philippines in defending its sovereign rights and jurisdiction. He reaffirmed the Department’s commitment to bolstering the Philippines’ defense capabilities and capacity to resist coercion.
During his stop at Camp Aguinaldo, Secretary Austin and Secretary Teodoro signed a General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA), a critical step to enhance information sharing and deepen interoperability.
The Secretaries also co-led the groundbreaking ceremony for a new bilateral Combined Coordination Center (CCC). These bilateral undertakings will improve joint efforts to plan
bilateral exercises, operations, and humanitarian response efforts in order to address common challenges in the Indo-Pacific region.
As part of his visit to the Philippines, Secretary Austin traveled to Palawan on November 19, 2024, where he and Secretary Teodoro visited Antonio Bautista Airbase, one of nine Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) sites, as well as the Philippines Western Command, or WESCOM, which leads Philippine efforts in the South China Sea.