 The Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte has restored a crucial part governing the presence of U.S. troops in the Philippines. A deal was reached after the two countries' defense ministers met in Manila. The visiting forces agreement provides rules for the rotation of thousands of U.S. troops in and out of the Philippines for war drills and exercises. It has assumed additional importance as the United States and its allies contend with China. The President decided to recall or retract the termination data for the VF-8. So the visit is in force again, there is no termination data of pending, and we are back on track for the technical to plan for future exercises under the VF-8. Our countries face a range of challenges from the climate crisis to the pendent. And as we do, a strong, resilient U.S.-Philippine alliance will remain vital to the security stability and prosperity of the Indo-Pacific. At the top of my agenda was finding ways to enhance and reinvigorate our alliance and our mutual defense treaty. These include maritime cooperation, support for the bottom line, the armed forces of the Philippines, and investments that will help the Philippines navigate the region's complex security environment.