Whereas the United States and the Philippines have a longstanding alliance, characterized by a robust and multifaceted relationship between the 2 societies, including shared values, familial and generational ties, mutual defense commitments, and shared economic interests that have enriched the lives of the people of both the United States and the Philippines; Whereas, in 1946, the Philippines became an independent republic and established diplomatic relations with the United States; Whereas, in 1951, the United States and the Philippines signed a Mutual Defense Treaty, pledging mutual support in case of an armed attack; Whereas, during World War II, the United States and the Philippines fought side-by-side in the defense of a free and open Indo-Pacific; Whereas, during World War II, Philippine resistance units made tremendous sacrifices and were critical to victory in the Pacific and the liberation of the Philippines; Whereas the Philippines and the Republic of China participated in the Allied war effort, which resulted in victory including the successful liberation of China; Whereas the People’s Republic of China (PRC) now seeks to unlawfully extend its territorial and sovereignty claims, including against the Philippines; Whereas, under its nine-dash line construct, the PRC makes erroneous claims to territorial rights in the exclusive economic zones of Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Vietnam; Whereas, in 2013, the Philippines pursued arbitration under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) against the PRC