United States (US) Senator Tammy Duckworth on Tuesday, August 8, paid a courtesy call to President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr. in Malacañang Palace and discussed possible collaboration with the country in manufacturing electronic vehicle batteries.

In a press release, the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) said Duckworth told Marcos that the manufacturing agreement could address the high demand for electric vehicle batteries in the US market.

"And I can’t think of a better place to create a new manufacturing ecosystem for the American market than here in the Philippines where we can work together to supply that market so that we can continue to make our switch to renewables as well. And there are many other places where we can work together,” she said as quoted by the PCO.

The Senator also told the Chief Executive that she prefer to have a manufacturing supply chain with the country which is US' long-time friend and ally.

According to PCO, Marcos told the Senator that batteries are important as "renewable energy sources such as solar and wind that rely on nature and are not constant" and that the country has "great potential" for battery manufacturing.

“We have nickel, we have bauxite, we have cobalt. And so, the idea of manufacturing….has shown more and more potential, the more we study it,” the President said as quoted by the PCO.

Aside from battery manufacturing, Marcos and the Senator dwelled on discussing PH and US long-standing ties and other common security and trade interests.