U.S. Philippines Long time defense pact is on the rocks
On June 1, 2020 the Philippines notified the U.S. Embassy in Manila that it froze a February decision to withdraw from the Philippines-United States, USNI reported.
“The United States welcomes the Philippine government’s decision. Our long-standing alliance has benefited both countries, and we look forward to continued close security and defense cooperation with the Philippines.” A statement was issued from the U.S. Embassy in Manila.
President Duerte in Late January 2020, threatened to freeze training between U.S. Philippine Armed Forces. Duerte had made that threat before as relationships became rocky. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in February 2020 that the U.S. is committed to its 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty with the Philippines. The treaty affirms that the U.S. will come to the aid of the Philippines if it is attacked.
Beijing’s harassment of Philippine fisheries and offshore energy development within those areas is unlawful, as are any unilateral PRC actions to exploit those resources. Under the 2016 Arbitral Tribunal Award, which is final and legally binding, the Philippines enjoys sovereign rights and jurisdiction with respect to the natural resources in its EEZ.
Philippines were a U.S. possession from 1898 to 1946.
The Philippine Division was an essential part of the U.S. Army’s Philippine Department, which existed from 1921 through World War II. Up to 400,000 Filipinos served in the U.S. military during WWII.
In partnership with the state of Hawaii, 22 surface ships, one submarine, multiple aircraft and approximately 5,300 personnel from Australia, Brunei, Canada, France, Japan, Republic of Korea, New Zealand, Republic of the Philippines, Singapore, and the United States will join forces August 17 to August 31
U.S. and Philippine forces fought together during WWII in the Philippines Campaign, which included three major battles to liberate the islands from Japanese forces. The last Japanese soldier on the islands held out for 29 years — finally surrendering in 1974.
The Philippines is strategically located in the Indo-Pacific and critical to U.S. national interests in the region. For one, the Philippines, the oldest ally in Southeast Asia, shares important security ties with the U.S. as a major non-NATO strategic partner. Bi-lateral trade in goods and services in 2017 totaled an estimated $29.6 billion, with a $6.7 billion deficit in favor of the Philippines.
There more than four million U.S. citizens of Philippine ancestry in the United States, and more than 350,000 U.S. citizens in the Philippines, including a large number of United States veterans. An estimated 650,000 U.S. citizens visit the Philippines each year. Many people-to-people programs exist between the United States and the Philippines, including the longest continuously running Fulbright program in the world, International Visitor Leadership Program, and Kenney-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study program.
Manila is home to the only Veterans Administration regional office outside the United States, and the American Cemetery in Manila is the largest American military cemetery outside the United States.
U.S. Assistance to Philippines
The U.S. government’s goals in the Philippines are to strengthen democratic governance and support Philippine government efforts to promote inclusive development and contribute to security and development cooperation in the Indo-Pacific. U.S. assistance to the Philippines fosters broad-based economic growth; improves the health and education of Filipinos; promotes peace and security; advances democratic values, good governance, and human rights; and strengthens regional and global partnerships Department of State, Department of Defense, and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) programs in conflict-affected areas of Mindanao aim to create a sustainable foundation for peace and stability in areas at risk from terrorism and violent extremism. U.S. assistance seeks to intensify cooperation through a whole-of-government approach that supports a free and open Indo-Pacific. The United States has had a Peace Corps program in the Philippines for over 50 years.
Over the last decade, disaster relief and recovery has also become an increasingly important area of assistance to the Philippines. The United States has provided over $143 million in assistance to date to the people of the Philippines in relief and recovery efforts after Typhoon Haiyan/Yolanda devastated the country in 2013. The United States continues to support long-term reconstruction and rebuilding efforts, and has allocated over $60 million to support ongoing humanitarian assistance and stabilization funding in response to the Marawi seige.
Bilateral Economic Relations
The United States and the Philippines have a strong trade and investment relationship, with over $27 billion in goods and services traded (2086). The United States is one of the largest foreign investors in the Philippines, and is the Philippines’ third-largest trading partner.
Key imports from the Philippines are semiconductor devices and computer peripherals, automobile parts, electric machinery, textiles and garments, wheat and animal feeds, coconut oil, and information technology/business process outsourcing services. Key U.S. exports to the Philippines are agriculture goods, machinery, cereals, raw and semi-processed materials for the manufacture of semiconductors, electronics, and transport equipment. The two countries have a bilateral Trade and Investment Framework Agreement, signed in 1989, and a tax treaty. There are over 600 members in the Philippines chapter of the American Chamber of Commerce, which has national reach.
Philippines’s Membership in International Organizations
The Philippines and the United States belong to a many of the same international organizations, including the United Nations, ASEAN Regional Forum, Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum, International Monetary Fund, World Bank, and World Trade Organization. The Philippines is also an observer to the Organization of American States. The Philippines served as chair and host of ASEAN for 2017.