Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. on Wednesday cited the United States’ “sustained engagement” with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), which he credits for peace and stability in the region.

“We value the United States’ sustained engagement with the defense establishments of ASEAN as a robust US presence is necessary for peace and stability in Southeast Asia and in the broader Indo-Pacific Region,” he said during the ASEAN-United States Defence Ministers’ Informal Meeting in Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu.

US Department of War Secretary Pete Hegseth attended the meeting, held on the sidelines of the 20th ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting.

“We are delighted to host this important gathering this year as it coincides with the 80th anniversary of the establishment of our diplomatic ties with the United States. In that spirit, we extend our appreciation to the Honorable Secretary Pete Hegseth and members of his team for joining us here in Cebu on this momentous occasion,” Teodoro said.

The defense chief also expressed appreciation for the United States’ steadfast support for ASEAN centrality and its participation in ASEAN-led mechanisms, including the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus) and the second ASEAN-United States Maritime Exercise held in Indonesia in December 2025.

He also expressed elation for the US’ support for the Philippines and Japan as co-chairs of the current cycle of the ADMM-Plus Experts Working Group on Maritime Security.

“We particularly appreciate US participation through (their Navy) and their Air Force in the joint cooperative activity that we hosted in Subic last month,” he added.

Teodoro said these initiatives offered meaningful opportunities to strengthen maritime partnerships and people-to-people ties in support of peace and stability in Southeast Asia and a free and open Indo-Pacific.

“For our part, the Philippines hopes to build on these efforts in the years to come because all of us have relied and will continue to rely on freedom of navigation for the security, prosperity, and resilience of our people,” he added.

Hegseth, in turn, hailed the DND chief for his “clarity, leadership, and great work as chairman of the ADMM-Plus over the past year.”

“You’ve continued to showcase the kind of leadership we expect and have come to really appreciate from the Philippines, so thank you very much. And to all our other friends and partners here as members of ASEAN and the ADMM-Plus, we look forward to building on the great foundation that has existed for quite some time,” he said.

Earlier this year, Hegseth described a vision of “a more stable, secure, and prosperous Pacific.”

On Wednesday, he said this vision was “based on strength, built not on wishful thinking but on the backs of strong, self-reliant nations. Nations capable of defending their own sovereignty and contributing to the favorable balance of power that benefits us all.” (PNA)