Trump agrees to visit Manila next year for ASEAN - PH ambassador

Metro Manila, Philippines - US President Donald Trump has agreed to visit the Philippines in 2026 for the 44th ASEAN Summit, Philippine Ambassador to the US Jose Manuel Romualdez confirmed.

Romualdez recalled his conversation with Trump shortly after the official luncheon during President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s visit to Washington.

“So, Mr. President, we’ll be seeing you in Manila? Sabi niya, ‘Yes, I will definitely go.’ Sinabi nga niya sa Oval Office during the open thing with the media: ‘If I’m invited, I’ll go.’ So, inimbitahan siya definitely ni President Marcos. So definitely, we’re confident that we will take President Trump’s word that he will come to the Philippines to visit,” Romualdez told ‘The Newsmaker.’

[Translation: “So, Mr. President, we’ll be seeing you in Manila?” He said, “Yes, I will definitely go.” He even said during the media event in the Oval Office, “If I’m invited, I’ll go.” He was definitely invited by President Marcos, so we’re confident that we can take President Trump at his word that he will come to the Philippines,” Romualdez said.]

The Philippines will host the 44th ASEAN Summit as part of the commemoration of the 80th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Manila and Washington and the 75th year of the Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT).

In his arrival statement following his three-day official US visit, Marcos said he looked forward to hosting Trump for the high-level ASEAN meetings, calling the occasion “a reaffirmation of our historic alliance.”

“The United States is our oldest and only treaty ally, and my visit to meet the new President is important in advancing our historic and dynamic cooperation, mutual respect, and shared strategic interests,” Marcos said.

He said his meeting with Trump reaffirmed the two countries’ “ironclad commitment” to the Mutual Defense Treaty of 1951, describing it as a cornerstone of security policy.