Admiral Samuel J Paparo, commander of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, visited the Philippines, one of the U.S. oldest Asian partners and a strategic major non-NATO ally, from February 20 to 22, deepening the U.S. – Philippines relationship as both countries commemorated the 80th anniversary of the Liberation of Manila.
The Liberation of Manila marked the end of Japanese occupation in the Philippines during the Second World War. The Battle of Manila was fought from February 3 to March 3, 1945.
After the successful landing of General MacArthur and his troops in Leyte on October 20, 1944, the American Liberation Forces started its campaign moving towards the north. On January 9, 1945, a successful landing by the U.S. forces through the aid of Filipino guerillas took place in Lingayen, Pangasinan, which allowed them to establish a military position in the northern Luzon area.
On February 3, 1945, after clearing much of the island of Luzon, allied troops began to liberate Manila City from Japanese control. After hard urban fighting house to house that destroyed huge portions of the cityscape, the capital city was finally reclaimed.
The month-long battle, which resulted in the death of at least 100,000 civilians, with 1,101 U.S. soldiers dead and 5,565 wounded, was the scene of the worst urban fighting fought by American forces in the Pacific theater.
The battle, which ended almost three years of Japanese military occupation in the Philippines from 1942 to 1945, is widely considered to be one of the most intense and worst urban battles ever fought, and the single largest urban battle ever fought by American forces.
During the trip, Paparo met with Philippine President Ferdinand R Marcos Jr, Secretary of Foreign Affairs Enrique Manalo, National Security Advisor Eduardo Año, Secretary of National Defense Gilberto C Teodoro Jr, Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines General Romeo S Brawner Jr, and U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines MaryKay L Carlson to discuss shared security concerns, including maritime security, humanitarian assistance/disaster response, and counterterrorism.
He also met Secretary and Presidential Assistant for Maritime Concerns Andres Centino, underscoring U.S. commitment to the Armed Forces of the Philippines to enhance maritime domain awareness and capacity building in order to counter illegal, coercive, aggressive, and deceptive activities.
At the Manila American Cemetery, Paparo met with U.S. and Filipino World War 2 veterans and gave a speech. Attended by U.S. and Philippine dignitaries and guests, the event recognized the service and sacrifice of U.S. soldiers and Filipino civilians who lost their lives during the fight to liberate the Philippine capital.
“Our nations have stood together for decades, confronting common challenges and advancing shared interests in the Indo-Pacific region,” Paparo said during his speech.
“The liberation of Manila was a triumph for universal values of human dignity, self-determination, and the human spirit. As we honor the memory of those who gave their lives, let us rededicate ourselves to the cause of freedom and our enduring partnership.
“May the sacrifices of our forebears inspire us to stand firm in the face of challenges, and may our bonds of friendship and cooperation grow stronger in the years to come.”
The two countries signed a mutual defense treaty in 1951, which serves as a foundation for close security cooperation. The Philippines, which is strategically positioned east of the South China Sea, a thoroughfare for roughly 30 percent of global maritime trade, is at the forefront of preserving the free and open regional order in Southeast Asia and the greater Indo-Pacific region.
Since 1951, the U.S.-Philippines Alliance has upheld peace and security in the Indo-Pacific with a shared vision of transparency, the rule of law, respect for sovereignty, and the peaceful resolution of disputes. The U.S. and the Philippines frequently conduct joint military exercises to enhance interoperability.
The mutual defense treaty is enhanced by the 1998 Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA), and the 2014 Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA).
The VFA provides the legal basis and status protections for U.S. military and Department of Defense civilian personnel in the Philippines on official business. EDCA authorizes U.S. forces access to agreed locations in the Philippines on a rotational basis, for security cooperation exercises, joint and combined military training activities, and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief activities.
The Mutual Logistics Support Agreement was renewed in 2017 and is the legal mechanism for the U.S. to access locally sourced resources abroad, while also benefiting the broader bilateral relationship with the Philippines. Together these agreements continue to provide the foundation for the bilateral security relationship and enable critical U.S. military support, presence, and interoperability.
On numerous occasions, the U.S. has emphasized it remains committed to the defense and security of the Philippines and will continue working together to deter aggression and uphold international law. The U.S. Indo-Pacific Command is committed to enhancing stability in the Indo-Pacific region by promoting security cooperation, encouraging peaceful development, responding to contingencies, deterring aggression and, when necessary, prevailing in conflict.
Photo credit: U.S. Navy photo by Chief Mass Communication Specialist Shannon M. Smith. Philippine President Ferdinand R Marcos Jr (left) greets Adm Samuel J Paparo, commander of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, at the 80th anniversary of the Liberation of Manila at Manila American Cemetery in the Philippines, on Feb 22, 2025.
