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Jean Mangaluz - Philstar.com
July 11, 2025 | 2:00pm
A composite photo of US President Donald Trump and Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
AFP / PPA
MANILA, Philippines — The Palace confirmed reports that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is headed to the United States (US) on July 20, after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio spilled the news.
In an interview with international media, Rubio spoke about the relationship between the US, Japan and the Philippines.
“We have a great relationship with Japan and the Philippines, and work very closely with them on the economic corridor, on maritime security and territorial integrity – and continue to build upon that partnership, and look forward to hosting the president of the Philippines in Washington in a few days,” Rubio said.
In a separate press briefing, Palace Press Officer Claire Castro confirmed that Marcos was headed to the US, but declined to share more details on the trip. However, she said that Marcos will remain in the US from July 20 to 22.
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) also confirmed the trip.
“We are working with the U.S. State Department to finalize the details of the visit. We will share more information once these are finalized,” the DFA said.
Neither the DFA nor the Palace confirmed a meeting between Marcos and US President Donald Trump.
This would mark Marcos’ fifth trip to the US. His first visit was in 2022, where he addressed the United Nations General Assembly. He visited twice more in 2023 — first for a meeting with US President Joe Biden, and second for the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting.
This upcoming visit to the US marks Marcos’ first under Trump’s term. It comes on the heels of Washington imposing a 20% tariff on Philippine goods entering the US.
Negotiations between the US and the Philippines are ongoing, though Manila’s economic managers say they are still assessing the full impact of the tariffs. The Philippines continues to push for a free trade agreement with the US.
In a separate interview, Investment and Economic Affairs czar Frederick Go said that he and several other officials were headed to the US. However, he did not disclose if this is the same trip as Marcos’.
On top of the tariffs, Marcos’ visit to the US comes on the heels of the Trump administration’s massive crackdown on immigrants, many of whom are Filipino. There are an estimated 300,000 undocumented Filipinos in the US.
