The Philippines and the US signed the VFA in 1998, allowingjoint Philippine-US military operations. The Philippine Senate ratified theagreement in 1999, seven years after the closure of the last US base onPhilippine territory.
In February 2020, the Philippines officially notified the USabout the termination of the agreement.
In June 2020, the country suspended the decision to scrap thetwo-decade-old agreement. The decision was suspended again in November that year./.