President Marcos meets US officials and calls for ASEAN unity

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. met with senior United States Department of War officials Elbridge Colby, Under Secretary for Policy, and John Noh, Assistant Secretary for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs, at Malacañang Palace. The meeting served as the first stop in the officials' Southeast Asia tour and comes amid ongoing efforts to deepen security cooperation between the Philippines and the United States, particularly regarding tensions in the South China Sea.

In a separate address marking the 59th anniversary of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), President Marcos called for regional unity to address global challenges. He highlighted the need for cooperation against conflicts, climate change, economic uncertainty, and artificial intelligence. Marcos emphasized the importance of ASEAN centrality and the bloc's ability to provide platforms for dialogue and peaceful engagement in the face of international crises, including tensions in the South China Sea and conflicts in the Middle East.