The Philippines and the United States have agreed to work toward sharing military information, and to hold a dialogue between their defense chiefs this year.
This comes as tensions between Manila and Beijing heat up over territorial disputes in the South China Sea.
Senior Philippine and US officials met in Washington this week for a strategic dialogue. A joint statement released on Wednesday says they are committed to concluding an intelligence-sharing pact, known as GSOMIA, by the end of the year.
It says they are set to hold a meeting of defense and foreign ministers, known as a "2-plus-2 dialogue," this year as well.
The statement called on China to cease its aggressive and dangerous actions against Filipino vessels in the South China Sea. It says Manila and Washington will deepen cooperation to fight illegal fishing in line with international law.
The two countries kicked off a joint military exercise on Monday, with more than 16,000 troops taking part. They aim to maintain peace and security in the region through exercises and other maritime activities, while joining hands with like-minded nations.