Philippines’s Secretary of Defense Gilberto Teodoro and his visiting US counterpart Lloyd Austin signed the agreement during a ceremony at the Department of National Defense in Manila.

This is one of the last defense initiatives of the Biden's administration in Asia before former President Donald Trump returns to the White House in January 2025.

The deal, called the General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA), offers protocols for the sharing of classified information between the two countries, although it does not require either country to disclose sensitive data.

Under the deal, both must immediately report any violations of the classified information. The agreement can also be amended or suspended if necessary.

The US has signed similar agreements with other key allies in the Indo-Pacific - namely India, South Korea, Australia, and Japan.

Relations between the Philippines and the US, the only country with which the Philippines has a mutual defense treaty, have significantly improved under the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos.

In July, the US pledged 500 million USD in military aid to the Philippines to boost its defense capabilities. Earlier, the Philippines granted US forces access to four additional military sites under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement