United States Ambassador to the Philippines Lee Lipton on Monday, November 2, called Washington’s commitment to Philippine security “ironclad” and said the alliance is “stronger than ever,” days after US Secretary Pete Hegseth joined the ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting-Plus in Cebu.
“Our commitment to Philippine security is ironclad,” Lipton said in a statement, GMA News Online reported. “We’re in this for the long-term.” WWC One Media follows Manila’s alliances and the run-up to the ASEAN summit; related coverage is on our Politics hub.
The statement lands at a sensitive moment. Philstar.com noted that the Cebu meeting has since become the subject of a public dispute between Manila and Beijing, and that the Chinese Embassy in Manila has accused Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro of deliberately sending Beijing a late invitation.
Alliance framed as more than a treaty
Lipton described the relationship as “a powerful partnership grounded in shared principles, mutual respect, and an unwavering commitment to regional stability,” built with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. He said Hegseth’s frequent engagements with Southeast Asian partners show the Trump administration’s “determination to strengthen alliances, deepen regional cooperation, and ensure that peace is backed by strength.”
According to ABS-CBN News, the ambassador pointed to yearly joint exercises and training, hundreds of millions of dollars in US security assistance, expanded maritime cooperative activities, disaster response support and public health assistance as proof of that commitment.
“We stand firmly with the Filipino people in defending sovereignty, protecting territorial integrity, and upholding the freedom of navigation on which we all rely for vibrant global commerce,” he said, as the two countries mark 75 years of the Mutual Defense Treaty.
“The United States is proud to call the Philippines an ally, partner, and friend,” Lipton added. “Our relationship is not simply a matter of treaties or shared strategic interests; it is a bond between our peoples that grows stronger every day.”
A push for trade to match defense
The ambassador also turned to the economy. “We also believe our security partnership must be matched by an equally strong economic partnership,” he said, calling reciprocal, mutually beneficial trade essential to shared prosperity.
Inquirer.net noted that Lipton did not name specific trade initiatives or new economic commitments. The paper reported that more than a third of Philippine exports to the US face a 12.5 percent tariff after a US Trade Representative investigation found shortcomings in Manila’s restrictions on goods made with forced labor. That rate is higher than the 10 percent applied to partners judged to have adopted such measures, and the Department of Trade and Industry has said it still hopes to secure a lower rate.
The stakes are significant. Inquirer.net, citing trade figures, said bilateral trade reached $26.9 billion in 2025, and Philippine exports to the US rose 25.4 percent to $17.8 billion. The United States is the country’s largest export market.
What comes next
Philstar.com reported that Philippine officials aim to sign a framework agreement in November under Pax Silica, a US-led initiative to build a global tech supply chain less dependent on China. Malacañang has declined to say whether it will be signed during President Donald Trump’s visit.
Trump is expected at the ASEAN summit in Manila from November 16 to 18, before flying to Shenzhen for the APEC leaders’ meeting, where he is set to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping, according to Philstar.com.
At the ADMM-Plus, GMA News reported, Hegseth proposed developing a framework for defense cooperation between Washington and ASEAN to mark 50 years of US-ASEAN relations.
