The goals to achieve long-term economic growth and protect its sovereignty from threats and "infringements" have firmed up the Philippines' strategic partnership with the United States. Reiterating President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. policy declaration, Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Secretary Enrique Manalo said Tuesday that he “cannot see a Philippine future without the US as a partner.” He said this in his speech at a forum organized by Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington, D.C. before he attended the rounds of meetings with US officials. Manalo said the high-level visits conducted by Washington—including that of Vice President Kamala Harris, State Secretary Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin—to the Philippines is how the "modern alliance" between the two countries will look like, as both sides pursue their shared vision. Socio-economic security and defense capability enhancement will be the focal points of the US-Philippines strategic bilateral relations, according to Manalo. "Each element is equally crucial to enhancing our overall relationship in the 21st century, in terms of strategic depth, scope and resilience," he said. "While it is arguably a relationship that has had its vicissitudes, our work at the moment entails reshaping and fortifying its contours to meet contemporary challenges and opportunities, as we take our ties forward into the future," he added. The Philippines is eyeing economic security and resilience "in the face of geopolitical turmoil, disruption in the global supply chains and external shocks in general," he said. The US will be of great help to the Philippines as it expects a continuous upward trajectory that will build on the 2022 two-way trade level that reached over 21 billion dollars. Meanwhile, "repeated infringements" on the Philippine sovereignty that go against the many international laws and agreements in the context of dispute over the South China Sea necessitate the enhancement of the Philippine defense capabilities, according to Manalo. This is why the Philippines continues to fortify its alliance with the US and expand its own capacity by partnering with other countries, such as Japan and Australia, he added. "The Philippines has been clear and consistent about our interest in maintaining the South China Sea as a sea of peace and stability—and our aim to boost our defense capabilities, including in the framework of EDCA," he said. For Manalo, safeguarding and exercising the Philippines' rights over its Exclusive Economic Zone without harassment or denial of access "is as much about protecting our fisherfolk's livelihood and ensuring their access to fishing grounds." He said this as "it is about preserving our marine resources for future generations." "The President has firmly said that we will continue to uphold our sovereignty, sovereign rights, and jurisdiction in the West Philippine Sea and we will do so through peaceful and legal means," he added. Manalo believed that the Philippine-US alliance "stands proud in the nexus of relationships and arrangements buttressing the regional security architecture." He said "this architecture must maintain trust and confidence among parties, amidst US-China rivalry and other geopolitical pressures."