HONOLULU, Hawaii — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. made history as the first Philippine president to visit the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command in Hawaii amid ongoing tensions in the West Philippine Sea, several officials said on Sunday (U.S. Time).

In two separate remarks to the Philippine media delegation, Presidential Communications Office Secretary Cheloy Garafil and National Security Adviser Eduardo Año said Marcos is the first Philippine president to step onto the U.S. military base.

Several reports have mentioned that Marcos met with Adm. John Aquilino, the commander of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, at the Pearl Harbor headquarters on Oahu island, where he'll also convene with various military leaders from different services.

His itinerary also included a tour and orientation to explore the capabilities of Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, the combined bases merging the U.S. Air Force's Hickam Air Base and the U.S. Navy's Naval Station Pearl Harbor.