MAKATI CITY— Chargé d’Affaires a.i. Y. Robert Ewing on Tuesday, 10 February 2026, highlighted the strength and accomplishments of the U.S.-Philippines-Japan trilateral partnership during a panel hosted by the U.S.-Philippines Society at the Conservatory Room, Peninsula Manila.

Ewing, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service with over 20 years of experience, said the United States remains firmly committed to the Philippines’ security under the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty. “Building credible deterrence is a shared responsibility, one where our trilateral partnership continues to make significant progress,” he said, citing rising regional tensions in the South China Sea.

The envoy recounted the 2025 ASEAN Ministerial Meeting in Kuala Lumpur, where leaders reaffirmed their commitment to regional peace, stability, and freedom of navigation, emphasizing that a free and secure Indo-Pacific depends on the Philippines’ economic growth.

Joint military exercises were cited as examples of trilateral cooperation. Balikatan 2025 welcomed Japan’s participation, while the 2025 joint Coast Guard exercise off Kagoshima involved 350 personnel from all three countries responding to high-seas emergencies. Ewing said the exercises continue to grow in sophistication and scope, demonstrating the alliance’s ability to address shared challenges.

Economic and technological cooperation remain central pillars of the partnership. Ewing noted the Luzon Economic Corridor, launched in April 2024 under the G7 Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment, which focuses on transportation, energy, and digital innovation. Projects like Japan’s North-South Commuter Railway and the U.S.-supported Subic-Clark-Manila-Batangas freight railway are strengthening supply chains, creating jobs, and catalyzing private investment.

Technology initiatives include the Open Radio Access Network Laboratory at the University of the Philippines, civil nuclear workforce development, and strengthened cyber defense capabilities. Ewing emphasized that private sector engagement will further accelerate growth in artificial intelligence, semiconductors, digital infrastructure, liquefied natural gas, and other critical sectors.

“The common thread across all these efforts is clear: our aligned, collective actions are making a real impact,” Ewing said. He added that the United States welcomes additional partners committed to a secure and prosperous Indo-Pacific, noting that the trilateral partnership is strong, results-driven, and poised to achieve even greater successes in the year ahead.