MANILA -- President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. underscored the importance of forging strong ties with the country’s friends and partners in the United States, Southeast Asia and the entire Asia Pacific in the midst of the present geopolitical challenges.

Speaking with the members of the US-Philippines Society, who paid a courtesy call on him at the Palace on Monday, President Marcos said the world becomes so much more complicated with the heated rivalry among powerful nations.

Asia Pacific has seen many fundamental changes, President Marcos said, noting the international community also cannot downplay the effects and the shocks brought about by the war in Ukraine.

The situation in the South China Sea also continues to be worrisome, Marcos pointed out.

“And that is when we once again look to our friends and partners in the United States to be our treaty partner, and of course, our neighbors in ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) and the entire Asia Pacific extending up to the Indo Pacific,”  the President said.

“So these partnerships have become as important as they have ever been in our entire joint history. And that is why I am very happy to see that the US-Philippines Society is so active," the President said.

The chief executive thanked the US-Philippines Society for expressing interest in current developments and most especially in the US-Philippines relationship, and strengthening the ties that he described as an “evolving relationship” amid the current changes.

“That relationship is extremely important certainly to the Philippines and I believe also to the United States. So thank you for this visit,” Marcos said.

The US-Philippines Society is a private sector initiative organized to broaden and expand interaction and understanding through basic research and/or applied research in the areas of security, trade, investments, tourism, the environment, history, education and culture between the United States and the Philippines which would benefit the American public and the people of the Philippines.

A non-profit, non-partisan, and independent organization, its mission is to build on the rich and longstanding historical ties between the two nations and help to bring that unique relationship fully into the 21st century at a junction when U.S. policy interests are increasingly focused on East Asia. (PND)