Whereas Filipinos and Americans fought together in World
War II, and an estimated 1,000,000 Filipinos gave their lives to defend
freedom;
Whereas the United States and the Republic of the
Philippines signed the United States–Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty in
1951;
Whereas the Philippines and the United States are
longstanding allies, as demonstrated by the Mutual Defense Treaty, cooperation
in conflicts since World War II, and the United States designation of the
Philippines as a Major Non-NATO Ally;
Whereas the United States Government seeks to maintain an
alliance with the Government of the Philippines that promotes peace and
stability in Southeast and East Asia, rule of law and human rights, economic
growth, counter-terrorism efforts, and maritime security;
Whereas United States naval ships visit Philippines’
ports, and the United States and Philippines’ military forces participate in
combined military exercises under the Visiting Forces Agreement established in
1998;
Whereas the United States Government and the Government of
the Philippines work closely together in the struggle against terrorism to make
local communities safer and help establish an environment conducive to good
governance and development;
Whereas the navy of the Government of the Philippines has
received a United States Coast Guard cutter and assistance in establishing a
coastal radar system to enhance its monitoring of its waters;
Whereas the United States Government works closely with
the Government of the Philippines on humanitarian and disaster relief
activities, and in the past has provided prompt assistance to make United
States troops, equipment, assets, and disaster relief assistance
available;
Whereas the Mutual Defense Board and the Security
Engagement Board serve as important platforms for the continuing stability of
the long-standing alliance between the Philippines and the United States in a
rapidly changing global and regional environment;
Whereas Philippines military forces have supported over
the years many United Nations peacekeeping operations worldwide;
Whereas the United States ranks as one of the Philippines’
top trading partners, with 11 percent of the Philippines’ imports coming from
the United States and 15 percent of exports from the Philippines delivered to
the United States in 2010;
Whereas total United States foreign direct investment in
the Philippines was almost $6,000,000,000 at the end of 2009;
Whereas the Philippines is one of four countries that has
been invited to participate in the new Partnership for Growth Initiative, which
promotes broad-based economic growth in emerging markets;
Whereas many Americans and Filipinos have participated in
people-to-people programs such as the Peace Corps, the International Visitor
Leadership Programs, the Aquino Fellowship, Eisenhower Fellowships, and the
Fulbright Scholar Program;
Whereas an estimated 4,000,000 people living in the United
States are of Filipino ancestry, over 300,000 United States citizens live in
the Philippines, and an estimated 600,000 United States citizens travel to the
Philippines each year;
Whereas the alliance between the United States and the
Philippines is founded on core values that aim to promote and preserve
democracy, freedom, peace, and justice, and is fortified by the two nations’
partnerships in defending these values;
Whereas the Government of the Philippines seeks to improve
governance, strengthen the rule of law, and further develop accountable,
democratic institutions that can better safeguard human rights, secure justice,
and promote equitable economic development; and
Whereas Secretary of State Hillary Clinton met with
Foreign Secretary of the Philippines, Albert del Rosario, on June 23, 2011, in
Washington, DC, and reaffirmed that the United States and the Philippines are
longstanding allies that are committed to honoring mutual obligations, and
strengthening the alliance: Now, therefore, be it
That—
(1)the
Senate—
(A)celebrates the
60th Anniversary of the United States–Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty;
(B)confirms the
alliance’s enduring value as one of the key pillars of peace, stability, and
prosperity in the Asia-Pacific region; and
(C)encourages both
countries to mark this important occasion with continued high-level exchanges;
and
(2)it is the sense
of the Senate that—
(A)the United States
Government should propose to the Government of the Philippines that a joint
commission be established to review the potential for enhancing security ties
between the United States Armed Forces and the Armed Forces of the Philippines,
including facilities access, expanded joint training opportunities, and
humanitarian and disaster relief preparedness activities;
(B)the United States
Government should redouble efforts to expand and deepen the economic
relationship with the Government of the Philippines toward achieving
broad-based economic development in that country, including by working on new
bilateral initiatives that support the efforts of the Government of the
Philippines to reform its economy and enhance its competitiveness, and through
trade-capacity building;
(C)the private
sectors of the United States and the Philippines should be urged to establish a
United States–Philippines organization with a mission to promote actively and
expand closer bilateral ties across key sectors, including security, trade and
investment, education, and people-to-people programs;
(D)the Government of
the Philippines should continue its efforts to strengthen its democratic
institutions to fight corruption, curtail politically motivated violence and
extrajudicial killings, expand economic opportunity, and tackle internal
security challenges; and
(E)the United States
Government should continue efforts to assist the Government of the Philippines
in the areas of maritime security, related communications infrastructure to
enable enhanced information-sharing, and overall military
professionalization.