President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has extended an invitation to U.S. President Donald Trump to visit the Philippines in 2026. The visit would coincide with the 44th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit, which Manila will chair. It would also commemorate significant milestones in the enduring relationship between the two nations.
President Marcos announced the invitation in his arrival statement following a three-day official visit to the United States. He highlighted the convergence of the Philippines’ ASEAN chairmanship with the 80th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Manila and Washington, as well as the 75th anniversary of the Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT).
“I look forward to hosting President Trump next year to attend the ASEAN meetings under the Philippines’ chair, which also coincides with the commemoration of our 80th year of diplomatic ties and 75 years of the Mutual Defense Treaty,” President Marcos stated.
The President underscored the profound importance of the Philippines’ alliance with the United States, emphasizing the significance of his recent meeting with the U.S. President. “The United States is our oldest and only treaty ally, and my visit to meet the new President is important in advancing our historic and dynamic cooperation, mutual respect, and shared strategic interests,” President Marcos affirmed.
President Marcos further stressed the critical role of the Philippine-U.S. alliance in maintaining regional stability. He noted that his recent visit reaffirmed the two nations’ “ironclad commitment” to the 1951 MDT, a cornerstone of Philippine security policy.
The potential visit by President Trump would serve as a high-level opportunity to further strengthen the strategic partnership between the Philippines and the United States, building upon decades of shared history and mutual defense cooperation.
