The 2026 Manila Strategy Forum was held in Manila, Philippines, on September 9–10, 2026, hosted by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) Southeast Asia Program. Bringing together experts in foreign policy, geoeconomics, and technology from the United States and the Philippines, the annual conference forms part of CSIS’s U.S.-Philippines Initiative, which aims to deepen the partnership between the two countries.
Representing the Yokosuka Council on Asia-Pacific Studies (YCAPS) 2026 Subic SQUAD Forum were Deryk Baladjay, John Benito, Santiago Castillo, Fernando Dysico, and Matteo Piasentini.
Discussions examined shifts in the international order and opportunities for U.S.-Philippine cooperation in defense, energy, infrastructure, and emerging technology. Panels also addressed tariff and trade agreements, international crises, development of future industries, and the shifting relationship between the US and the Philippines. Senior Philippine officials featured in the program included Secretary of Foreign Affairs Ma. Theresa Lazaro, Secretary of National Defense Gilberto Teodoro, and National Security Advisor Eduardo Oban Jr.
Matteo Piasentini also spoke during the panel “Strengthening Regional Alliance Networks. The forum offered the SQUAD Forum participants an opportunity to exchange perspectives with policymakers, researchers, and industry representatives on the strategic and economic issues shaping the U.S.-Philippine partnership.
The Yokosuka Council on Asia-Pacific Studies (YCAPS) is proudly working in collaboration with La Trobe Asia, the Philippines–Australia Forum, FACTS Asia, We Protect Our Seas, and the University of the Philippines–Diliman Asian Center to foster the next generation of policy-relevant voices in the region. Media inquiries can be directed to Ivy Ganadillo (ivy.ganadillo@ycaps.org).