A meeting between Philippine President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and his flamboyant U.S. counterpart Donald Trump is being arranged.
Also known as BBM, Marcos has confirmed that work is underway for his first meeting with Trump.
“I will meet with President Trump because there is much we need to discuss—trade, defense, security, and now the new policy on immigration,” Marcos said in a media interview on January 30, 2025.
Noting the rapid changes in the U.S., particularly the Trump administration’s crackdown on illegal immigration, Marcos noted: “With time, these policies will crystalize, and by then, I will have the opportunity to visit President Trump and discuss them with a better understanding of what they entail.”
While a Marcos-Trump meeting will generate a lot of interest for Filipinos across the world, part of the spotlight will likely shine on Marcos’ mother, former First Lady Imelda Marcos.
Both no strangers to fame, Trump and Imelda are known to be longtime friends.
It may be recalled that Trump himself mentioned Imelda when he and Marcos had a phone call on November 19, 2024.
“Naalala naman niya ang Pilipinas. Ang kaibigan niya talaga mother ko. Kilalang-kilala niya ‘yung mother ko. Kinukumusta niya si — ‘how is Imelda?’ Sabi ko, binabati ka nga,” Marcos related to reporters.
“Patuloy naming pinag-usapan ang samahan — the alliance between the United States and the Philippines. And I expressed to him our continuing desire to strengthen that relationship between our two countries, which is a relationship that is as deep as can possibly be because it has been for a very long time,” Marcos added.
At the time of the call, Trump was then president-elect. He assumed office on January 20, 2025.
“It was a very friendly call, very productive. And I am glad that I was able to do it and I think President-elect Trump was also happy to hear from the Philippines,” Marcos said about his November 19, 2024 call.
When Imelda was First Lady, she was known to visit New York, home to Trump, then a real-estate developer.
A search online would turn up a Getty Images photo of a birthday party for columnist Joey Adams, showing Trump sharing a table with his then wife Marla Maples, and Imelda at the Helmsley Hotel in the city during the early 1990s.
Personal relationships play an essential role is diplomacy. Friendships build trust and promote collaboration.
Long before Trump ascended the American political ladder, he and his family have cultivated high-profile connections in and outside the U.S.
Imelda was First Lady of the Philippines from 1965 to 1986.
It remains to be seen whether Imelda’s longstanding friendship with Trump will benefit her son Marcos in dealing with the U.S. president.
The U.S. and the Philippines are staunch allies.
Online, the U.S. State Department notes that U.S.-Philippine relations are “based on strong historical and cultural links and a shared commitment to democracy and human rights”.
“The U.S. has designated the Philippines as a Major Non-NATO Ally, and there are close and abiding security ties between the two nations.”
As well, “There is also a focus on economic, commercial, and people-to-people ties. There are an estimated four million U.S. citizens of Philippine ancestry in the U.S., and more than 220,000 U.S. citizens in the Philippines, including a large presence of U.S. veterans. An estimated 650,000 U.S. citizens visit the Philippines each year.”
The Philippine Star newspaper has reported that discussions of the first meeting between Marcos and Trump emerged during talks between Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on January 23, 2025.
“Secretaries Manalo and Rubio agreed to explore a first meeting between Presidents Marcos and Trump in the near future,” the paper quoted a statement by the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on January 24.
“Both Secretaries reaffirmed the importance of continuing to strengthen economic engagements and achieving economic resilience,” the DFA said.
The Philippine Star also noted that an earlier readout by the U.S. State Department said Rubio affirmed the U.S.’ “ironclad commitments” to the Philippines through its mutual defense treaty.
By Carlito Pablo
