Trump revealed the broad terms of the agreement on his social media network and said the US and the Philippines would work together militarily. The announcement of a loose framework of a deal comes as the two countries are seeking closer security and economic ties in the face of shifting geopolitics in the Indo-Pacific region

Marcos` government indicated ahead of the meeting that he was prepared to offer zero tariffs on some U.S. goods to strike a deal with Trump. The Philippine Embassy did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment

Marcos` three-day visit to Washington shows the importance of the alliance between the treaty partners as China is increasingly assertive in the South China Sea, where Manila and Beijing have clashed over the hotly contested Scarborough Shoal

Washington sees Beijing, the world`s No. 2 economy, as its biggest competitor, and consecutive presidential administrations have sought to shift US military and economic focus to the Asia-Pacific in a bid to counter China. Trump, like others before him, has been distracted by efforts to broker peace in a range of conflicts, from Ukraine to Gaza

Trump said on Truth Social that the U.S. would impose a 19 per cent tariff rate on the Philippines, down from a 20 per cent tariff he threatened starting Aug. 1. In return, he said, the Philippines would have an open market and the US would not pay tariffs

Without further details on the agreement, it`s unclear how it will impact their countries` economies

Trump wrote that Marcos` visit was "beautiful," and it was a "Great Honor" to host such a "very good, and tough, negotiator"

Appearing before reporters in the Oval Office ahead of their private meeting, Marcos spoke warmly of the ties between the two nations

"This has evolved into as important a relationship as is possible to have," said Marcos, the first Southeast Asian leader to hold talks with Trump in his second term