The United States and the Philippines enjoy an alliance and partnership based on deep historical, economic, and cultural ties, and our shared democratic values. The United States and the Philippines stand together as friends, partners, and allies. Now and always, the U.S. commitment to the defense of the Philippines is ironclad, and we are committed to strengthening our economic and investment relationship.
The Vice President's travel to the Philippines reaffirms the bilateral alliance and will spur cooperation on a range of issues, including: advancing clean energy, addressing the climate crisis, promoting inclusive growth and innovation, increasing access to quality education and health resources, combating trafficking in persons, facing common security challenges, supporting freedom of the seas, and deepening people-to-people ties.
The Vice President is launching the following initiatives.
CLIMATE ACTION, ENERGY SECURITY, AND SUSTAINABLE INFRASTRUCTURE
- Energy Policy Dialogue: The U.S Department of Energy, U.S. Department of State, and Philippine Department of Energy will establish an Energy Policy Dialogue, a high-level platform for the two nations to develop new forms of energy cooperation, including on short and long-term energy planning, offshore wind development, and grid stability and power transmission.
- Launching 123 Agreement Negotiations for Civil Nuclear Energy Cooperation: The Vice President announced that the United States and the Philippines are initiating negotiations on a civil nuclear cooperation agreement ("123 agreement") to support expanded cooperation on zero-emission energy and nonproliferation priorities. Once in force, this agreement will provide the legal basis for U.S. exports of nuclear equipment and material to the Philippines. The United States is committed to working with the Philippines to increase energy security and deploying advanced nuclear reactor technology as quickly as safety and security conditions permit to meet the Philippines' dire baseload power needs. Such a deployment would support both energy security and climate goals, as well as support workers and businesses in both countries.
- Critical Mineral Supply Chains: The United States, through the U.S. Trade & Development Agency (USTDA), will support the development of a nickel and cobalt processing facility in the Philippines, which will expand the production of refined nickel and cobalt in the Philippines by 20,000 metric tons per year. The project will advance the sustainable development of critical minerals essential to the technologies for the clean energy transition.
- Construction of a Geothermal Power Project in Mindanao: The United States, through USTDA, will partner with Philippine energy company Energy Development Corporation (EDC) to develop a geothermal project in Mindanao that will expand access to clean energy, reduce emissions, diversify the Philippines' energy mix, and bring down energy costs for consumers.
- Building the Project Pipeline: USTDA will open an office in U.S. Embassy Manila to help U.S. companies and financiers invest in the Philippine market, supporting the energy and infrastructure needs of the Philippines and the broader Indo-Pacific region. This office will ensure that USTDA's current pipeline of bankable projects reach financial close and that new project opportunities are identified in partnership with the Asian Development Bank, U.S. development finance institutions, private banks, and other country partners in the region. Partnering more strategically with regional financiers will ensure high-quality infrastructure projects are financed and implemented using U.S. technology and expertise, creating mutual benefit among the Philippines, the United States, and the broader Indo-Pacific Region.
- Indo-Pacific Smart and Secure Ports Development: Through this project, the United States will help build partner capacity to identify and mitigate cybersecurity risks in critical seaport infrastructure. It will also promote the use of trusted vendors for the installation and maintenance of digital and automated port infrastructure, as ports modernize and become "smarter" and "greener."
