President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. underscored the importance of the Philippines’ strengthened alliance with the United States and other international partners in addressing regional security threats and boosting economic development during his keynote address at the inaugural Manila Strategy Forum on Wednesday.

Speaking before top policymakers, defense experts, and diplomats at the high-level forum organized by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), Marcos emphasized that global and regional challenges require cooperative, multilateral responses.

“The alliance of the Philippines and the United States has reached a necessary and natural progression towards trilateral and minilateral, multilateral engagements, building individual and collective capabilities to address common challenges,” he said.

The President noted that in an increasingly interconnected world, cooperation among like-minded nations is essential to tackle issues that transcend national borders.

“Today’s challenges are not bound by borders. Because of that, cooperation is absolutely essential,” Marcos stressed.

He reaffirmed the country’s openness to working with its neighbors and allies across multiple fronts, while standing firm on the need to protect Philippine sovereignty.

“We have many bilateral channels of communication and areas of cooperation. But in all of these, respect for our sovereignty, sovereign rights, and jurisdiction is non-negotiable,” he declared.

Strengthening multilateral ties

Also, Marcos highlighted the Philippines’ expanding trilateral cooperation with the United States and Japan, citing major engagements such as a maritime dialogue in December and a national security meeting in May.

In addition to these, the Philippines has engaged in multilateral Maritime Cooperative Activities (MCA) with Australia, Canada, Japan, and New Zealand, conducted within the country’s exclusive economic zone.

“We have seen the growth of our annual Balikatan Exercises with the participation of more partner nations and observers,” the President added, referring to the joint military exercises designed to improve interoperability among allied forces.

Beyond defense cooperation

While defense and security remain central to the Philippines' partnerships, Marcos said trilateral and multilateral cooperation is also driving progress in infrastructure, digital technology, and innovation.

He cited the 155-kilometer freight railway project under the Luzon Economic Corridor, a major economic initiative backed by Japan and the U.S., as a key example of how strategic alliances can also fuel national development.

“Trilateral cooperation with the U.S. and Japan also includes engagements on cyber, digital, and other areas of the new technology,” Marcos noted.

These efforts, he said, reflect the shared commitment of three “maritime democracies” to promote a free, open, inclusive, and prosperous Indo-Pacific.

The Manila Strategy Forum marked a significant step in aligning the Philippines’ foreign policy with global democratic partners amid growing regional tensions and evolving security dynamics, particularly in the Indo-Pacific region.