President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio reaffirmed the strength of the Philippines-US alliance during a phone call on Monday that covered regional security, economic cooperation, and bilateral trade matters.
In a social media post, Marcos described the conversation as productive, saying they discussed “critical regional and economic priorities” as well as trade concerns.
The President said the call underscored Manila and Washington’s shared commitment to strengthening their alliance and addressing common regional interests.
Malacañang released a photo of Marcos taking the call past 8 am Monday.
US Department of State spokesperson Thomas Pigott said Marcos and Rubio discussed a range of economic and security priorities, including efforts to advance peace and security in the South China Sea.
Pigott said Rubio also reaffirmed Washington’s commitment to the development of the Luzon Economic Corridor and to exploring ways to address energy challenges in the region.
He added that Rubio emphasized the strength of the US-Philippines alliance as the two countries marked 80 years of diplomatic relations and 75 years as allies in 2026.