U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry arrived in the Philippines Tuesday on a trip to modernize economic and political ties with one of America's oldest allies in Southeast Asia.
Kerry's two-day visit takes him to the capital, Manila, for talks with government officials and the business community, and later to Tacloban in the central Philippines, the epicenter of super typhoon Haiyan, which decimated towns and villages last month leaving more than 6000 dead.
US marines and humanitarian groups have joined in a multi-million dollar relief effort to deliver aid to typhoon survivors.
His visit to Southeast Asia comes as the United States strives for a trade deal with 11 countries in the Asia-Pacific. A Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade deal is the centerpiece of U.S. efforts to refocus attention on the fast-growing region.
