The following statement was jointly released by the Philippines and the United States on the occasion of the successful conclusion of the fourth Philippines-United States Bilateral Maritime Dialogue in Manila.

17 February 2026 – On February 17, the Philippines and the United States held their fourth Bilateral Maritime Dialogue in Manila, where the two sides reaffirmed a shared commitment to uphold the rights, freedoms, and lawful uses of the sea in accordance with international law, as reflected in the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which sets out the legal framework within which all activities in the oceans and seas must be carried out.  Both sides reinforced their longstanding mutual position supporting freedoms of navigation and overflight, unimpeded commerce, and economic opportunity in the South China Sea.

First held in 2022, the Bilateral Maritime Dialogue serves as a platform to improve maritime policy and operational coordination between the Philippines and the United States.  The Dialogue reflects the strong Alliance between the Philippines and the United States, building on the successful “Reinforcing Cooperation to Achieve a Secure and Stable Maritime Domain” ministerial co-hosted by Secretary Lazaro and Secretary Rubio on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly on September 24, 2025. The meeting held with counterparts from Australia, Estonia, Greece, Japan, the Netherlands, Romania, the United Kingdom, and others, convened over 35 countries to discuss maritime security issues of shared concern.

At today’s dialogue, Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary for Maritime and Ocean Affairs Emmanuel Donato K. Guzman led the Philippine interagency delegation, while U.S. Department of State Deputy Assistant Secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Hunt VanderToll and U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement David Bedard co-led the U.S. interagency delegation, including U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary for Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs Dr. Ruth Perry.  Both sides reviewed ongoing cooperative efforts and discussed ways to address current challenges and shared maritime concerns, particularly in the South China Sea.

Both sides also discussed deepening cooperation on maritime law enforcement, including capacity building for the Philippine Coast Guard, advancing shared interests in the blue economy and marine conservation spaces, and in commemorating the upcoming 10th anniversary of the 2016 Arbitral Award.

The Philippines and United States remain committed to convening appropriate bilateral mechanisms such as the Maritime Dialogue to build on the outcomes of prior dialogues and exchanges and to sustain the positive momentum of deep and wide-ranging collaboration across the Alliance.