Manila, Philippines – US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is scheduled to meet with Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. on March 28, Friday, at Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City, according to the Department of National Defense (DND).
The US Department of Defense (DoD) earlier confirmed Hegseth’s visit to the Philippines as part of a broader trip to the Indo-Pacific region, which includes stops in Hawaii, Guam, and Japan. His visit aims to strengthen defense ties between the two nations and reaffirm commitments to a free and open Indo-Pacific.
Before arriving in Manila, Hegseth will engage with US Indo-Pacific Command officials in Hawaii and inspect military facilities in Guam. After his meeting with Teodoro and key Philippine defense leaders, he will proceed to Japan to take part in the 80th anniversary commemoration of the Battle of Iwo Jima.
This visit underscores the increasing defense cooperation between the Philippines and the United States amid regional security challenges in the South China Sea.
