President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. said that he will discuss the Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) with US President Joe Biden and strategies to counter climate change in his meeting in Washington on May 1.

“We are going to clarify again the treaty agreement between the Philippines and America and we will also talk about climate change, ask for help with strategies on how to deal with it,” Marcos said in a radio interview on Monday.

“We have to evolve it (Mutual Defense Treaty). It has to evolve because there really is an evolution, the situation we are facing in the South China Sea, in Taiwan and in North Korea, all of these are heating up somewhat,” he added.

The MDT is a defense pact between the Philippines and the US, which was signed in 1951.

Other subjects they could tackle during Marcos' visit include healthcare, tourism, and the economy.

In terms of climate change initiatives, Marcos said he will be meeting with top US officials to discuss “green bonds,” which are financial instruments linked to climate change solutions and are specific projects to help reduce carbon emissions. Jaspearl Tan/DMS