Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. arrives in the United States for talk with Biden

By Edward Era Barbacena 

President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. has arrived here for his five-day official working visit— his second time in the United States since assuming the presidency.

Marcos arrived at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland at exactly 4:56 p.m. (Washington time) on Sunday, April 30, along with First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos and the Philippine delegation.

He was welcomed by Philippine Ambassador to the US Jose Manuel Romualdez and Deputy Assistant to the President Kurt Campbell and other officials.

The President is here for a five-day working visit, which was dubbed as a trip aimed at reaffirming the long-standing special relationship of the Philippines and the United States.

Marcos is expected to set the tone of his second visit here by meeting US President Joe Biden on May 1 to discuss various salient agendas such as the Philippines' socio-economic development priorities and explore potential cooperation on areas of agriculture, energy, climate change, digital transformation and technology, humanitarian assistance, disaster relief, supply chains, and infrastructure.

Marcos will also bring up the two countries' mutual defense treaty, which, according to him, needs to evolve amid the various changes in the region.

Aside from his meeting with Biden, the President will also meet with US legislators, major companies, and business organizations.

Marcos arrived in Washington aboard the presidential flight (PR001). It is his second time in the US as a head of state, following his visit to New York for the United Nations General Assembly last year.