The Philippine-US alliance is moving in ''a positive direction'' based on the bilateral talks between President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. and US President Joe Biden, an official from the US Embassy said Tuesday.

During the Stratbase ADR Forum, US Embassy Political Councilor Brett Blackshaw said that the meeting between Marcos and Biden, together with Cabinet members and business leaders from both sides, was “symbolically important”.

“It’s kind of a crescendo of very vigorous engagement over the last six to nine months. And I can tell you our embassy has, we feel it…A lot has been moving in a positive direction in this alliance. In those statements, they talk about a tremendous momentum. It sounds like a hyperbole but I could tell you, it’s real. There are substantive outcomes of this visit,” Blackshaw said.

For his part, international affairs analyst Renato De Castro said the alliance has gained a political direction.

“It’s significant because in the last six years, there was no political direction regarding the alliance. The alliance has been sustained primarily because of the fact that, I would use the term, bureaucratic forces... There was no political dynamic there,” he said.

Marcos and Biden earlier released a joint statement that said they “recognize the remarkable ties of friendship, community, and shared sacrifice that serve as the foundation of the U.S.-Philippines alliance”.

Both leaders also said they welcomed the “historic momentum” in the countries’ relationship and will continue to tackle the challenges of the 21st century together, including the investment in clean energy transition and upholding international peace and stability.

De Castro, also the Trustee and Program convenor of the ADR Stratbase Institute, said there is an effort from both countries to widen the alliance. Jaspearl Tan/DMS