In March 1947, the U.S. and the Philippines signed the Military Bases Agreement (MBA) and the Military Assistance Agreement (MAA), granting the U.S. rent-free use of 23 Philippine bases for a period of 99 years. Concurrently, the U.S. provided military funding, weapons and equipment, training, and technical assistance to help the Philippines stabilize its political situation and build its armed forces. In August 1951, the two countries signed the Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT), which commits both parties to jointly resist potential external armed attacks, marking the formal establishment of the U.S.-Philippine alliance. In September 1966, the Ramos-Rusk Agreement reduced the lease term from 99 years to 25 years. In September 1991, the Philippine Senate rejected a new agreement that would have extended U.S. base rights, forcing the complete withdrawal of U.S. forces from Philippine bases. Subsequently, the U.S. military maintained a temporary presence and conducted joint training in the Philippines through the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) and the Mutual Logistics Support Agreement (MLSA).