Malacañang on Thursday disclosed that there is still no definite date yet set for the meeting of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and United States President Donald Trump.
According to Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Claire Castro, Marcos had been keen on meeting the American president since his return to the White House in January.
“Yes, they expressed their intention to pursue a leaders’ meeting at an appropriate time,” Castro said in an interview.
However, no timetable has been set yet for the meetup between the two leaders.
“We don’t have a definite timeline yet, but the intention is still there to continue it,” Castro said.
Earlier, Philippine Ambassador to the United States Jose Manuel Romualdez said that the meeting could possibly take place sometime in the Spring, adding that talking points for the meeting has not yet been finalized yet.
The United States remain as the Philippines’ oldest ally and a key partner in trade, peace and security.
Recently, Manila was exempted from the 90-day aid freeze implemented by the United States on other nations as part of Trump’s new executive orders while streamlining services of the federal government.
Romualdez said the Philippines will receive $336 million of $500-million foreign military financing that was approved by the US Congress in 2024 under the Biden administration with the remaining funds to follow.
The fund is said to help boost the capabilities of the Armed Forces of the Philippines while it is undergoing modernization.
One of the key issues that the Philippines is facing is the territorial dispute between Beijing and Manila in the South China Sea and the West Philippine Sea as China insists that islands within the WPS belong to them.