BAGUIO CITY – United States Ambassador to the Philippines MaryKay Carlson underscored that 2024 was a banner year for US-Philippines relations as friends, partners and allies.
Ambassador Carlson was in town to lead the Holiday Treat of the US Embassy to concerned stakeholders in the city that was held at the Ambassador’s Residence inside Camp John Hay (CJH).
“It’s fitting to close the year with a celebration as the last twelve months of US-Philippine relations have given as much to celebrate. I can confidently say that 2024 was a banner year for US-Philippine relations as friends, partners and allies,” Ambassador Carlson stressed.
She claimed that Secretary of Commerce Raimondo led a delegation of 22 businesses for this historic Presidential Trade and Investment Mission to the Philippines announcing more than PhP55 billion in US investments to the country.
Further, she narrated that Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin each visited the Philippines twice, including a joint visit in July for the first US-Philippines 2+2 dialogue that was held in Manila.
The US official claimed that during Secretary Austin’s second visit just two weeks ago, both countries broke ground on a new command and control fusion center at Camp Aguinaldo which will allow US and Philippine forces to coordinate on exercises and operations in person and in real time, a significant step forward in the alliance of both countries.
“And we broke records in our people-to-people ties, processing more visas than ever before and sending the most Filipinos to study at US higher education institutions in more than fifteen years. And that’s just scratching the surface of all that we have achieved during the past twelve months,” she added.
Carlson emphasized that she expected the incredible positive momentum, a relationship on hyper drive as some of the department of Foreign Affairs friends have said, to continue in 2025.
During numerous visits to the Philippines last year, the US official stipulated that leaders from both the US and Philippines executive branches representing both sides of the political spectrum have been unequivocal in expressing their support for the Philippines.
She expressed confidence that the strong bi-partisan support the Philippines enjoys will continue through the US presidential transition and well into the future.
According to her, there is no better place to celebrate achievements and look with hope to the future than in Baguio, a city that uniquely represents the depth in the strength of the US-Philippine bilateral relationship.
The ambassador stipulated that next year, the US and the Philippines will mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II and as many of the Filipinos know, the war came to an official end in the country right at the Ambassador’s Residence at Camp John Hay on September 3, 1945 where Japanese Imperial Army head Gen. Tomoyoki Yamashita signed the instrument of surrender in front of Gen. Jonathan Wainwright on the very table that still graces the dining room.
“I think that Gen. Wainwright would be more than pleased by how far the US-Philippines relationship has come in the 80 years since that historic day. Our achievements together are made possible by the dedication and commitment of our people whether you work in government, small or big business, in education, media, or in civil society, you all have contributed to our flourishing bilateral relationship as steadfast friends, iron-clad allies, and partners in prosperity,” she said. By Dexter A. See
