MANILA, Philippines – United States Vice President Kamala Harris  has reiterated Washington’s support for the Philippines in the face of China’s continued aggression in the West Philippine Sea (WPS), the Presidential Communications Office said Wednesday.

During a phone call late Tuesday, PCO said Harris assured President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. of the US’ commitment to the defense of the Philippines, particularly in the South China Sea.

“Indeed, and I will tell you from my first visit to Manila and our first conversation, it is extremely important to me and to the United States that we reaffirm the commitment to the defense of the Philippines including the South China Sea,” Harris told Marcos.

This conversation followed a trilateral phone call on Monday involving US President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru, noting the growing cooperation among the three nations in addressing regional security challenges.

“Madame Vice President, before I came to this call I was going through all of the things that we had discussed in the past couple of years. And it is remarkable how much work we have been able to do and how much it has progressed and developed the relationship between our two countries,” Marcos said.

He likewise said the transformative impact of the trilateral agreement with the US and Japan, signed earlier this year, which he said has “changed the dynamic of the South China Sea and the Indo-Pacific.”

Marcos also noted that the strengthened ties between the Philippines, the US, and Japan have garnered recognition within ASEAN, bolstering their collective position on issues concerning the West Philippine Sea.

Recently, China’s biggest coast guard vessel likewise known as “The Monster” ship was spotted back in the waters off Zambales over the weekend by the Philippine Coast Guard.

Following the return of the ship, Philippine senators are calling for a “comprehensive and proactive response from our government” due to the repeated incursions of Chinese Coast Guard vessels in the exclusive economic zone of the country

Aside from the West Philippine Sea dispute, the PCO said the two leaders also discussed continuing collaborations rooted in “shared values” and adherence to international law. 

Before the call ended, President Marcos invited Harris to visit the Philippines again for further defense, security, and economic partnerships, the PCO said.

The Philippines and the US have maintained formal diplomatic relations since July 4, 1946, with the US being the Philippines’ oldest and only treaty ally. 

The nations’ bilateral relationship is anchored on key agreements, including the Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT), the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA), and the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA).

Although critics have rebuked these treaties for solely benefitting the US, these partnerships remain ongoing to this day with Marcos saying EDCA sites had boosted the country’s humanitarian aid and disaster response.

In 2024, Washington pledged a total of $500 million in military aid to bolster its defense against China’s presence in the West Philippine Sea. Following the aid, it was followed by $1 million humanitarian aid due to a series of typhoons that battered the Philippines.