Philippines, US mark 75th anniversary of MDT, reaffirm alliance

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines and the United States marked the 75th anniversary of the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty, with Manila and Washington reaffirming their firm commitment to the alliance.

Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief Gen. Antonio Nafarrete and US Pacific Command chief Adm. Samuel Paparo met on Friday at Camp Aguinaldo where they signed an “8-Star memo” or a joint defense agreement, approving guidance and a list of activities for continued bilateral collaboration. The two co-chair the annual Mutual Defense Board-Security Engagement Board (MDB-SEB).

The joint activities approved by the board for the upcoming year range from large-scale exercises to subject matter expert exchanges.

These engagements are designed to sustain interaction between the two militaries and enhance operational readiness across a range of missions, including maritime security, humanitarian assistance and disaster response.

The MDB-SEB came on the heels of the most expansive iteration of Exercise Balikatan, the annual US-Philippine military drills from April 20 to May 8, bringing together roughly 17,000 troops from the Philippines, the US and multinational partners including Australia, Japan, Canada, France and New Zealand.

The Mutual Defense Board was established in 1958 and the Security Engagement Board in 2006. The meeting between Nafarrete and Paparo focused on enhancing joint training and exercises, advancing defense capability development, strengthening maritime security cooperation and expanding collaboration in other areas of shared strategic interest.

The meeting concluded with both sides reaffirming their shared commitment to maintaining freedom of navigation and promoting peace, security and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.

‘Model ally’

At a forum organized by think tank Stratbase Albert del Rosario (ADR) Institute in Makati City yesterday, US Defense Undersecretary for policy Elbridge Colby said Washington’s alliance with its “model ally” is undergoing a “historic modernization,” as the US invests more in strengthening the capabilities of the Philippines to better defend itself and its interests.

“We see and respect a resolute and proud nation that is determined to strengthen its own capabilities to better defend itself and its interests. A model ally,” Colby said in a speech.

Colby’s visit to Manila marked his first official trip to Southeast Asia as undersecretary for policy under the Trump administration.

The Pentagon official said the Philippines’ chairship of ASEAN this year has provided the bloc with a clear-headed pragmatism that matches the strategic demands of time.

“Here in the Philippines, our alliance is undergoing a historic modernization, rooted in profound mutual respect. We are co-investing in resilient infrastructure, training on cutting-edge capabilities and operationalizing our Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement sites,” Colby said.

“This is not a one-sided partnership – the Philippines is stepping up, taking the lead to defend itself and investing more to modernize its military and coast guard,” he added.

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