Newly arrived US Ambassador to the Philippines Lee Lipton has vowed to take the alliance between the two nations to greater heights, as he made his first official public engagement at a reception celebrating US Independence Day and the 80th anniversary of Philippine-US relations.
Ambassador pledges stronger ties
Lipton, together with his wife Erika, presented his credentials to President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. at Malacañang on June 30, 2026. During the reception in Makati City on Thursday night, he said, "It is an honor of a lifetime to be appointed by President Trump to serve my country in Manila. I’m so excited to be here and elevate the United States’ alliance with the Philippines to new heights."
Big plans for economic and security cooperation
As the two nations mark eight decades of diplomatic relations in 2026, Lipton stated that the Trump administration “has some really big plans to bring American business, jobs, investments, assistance, and so much more to the Filipino people.” Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Leo Herrera-Lim expressed Manila's eagerness to work with Lipton on strengthening security, economic, and people-to-people ties, saying, “Anniversaries like these are not finish lines. They are checkpoints, markers we pass on the way to a partnership that still has its best chapters ahead of it.”
Enduring partnership highlighted
Formal relations between the Philippines and the US were established on July 4, 1946. In a separate meeting with Foreign Affairs Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro, Lipton reaffirmed the US commitment to the alliance and his eagerness to collaborate with the Philippine government. The US Embassy in Manila stated, “Ambassador Lipton looks forward to building on the strong partnership between our countries and the enduring ties that connect Americans and Filipinos.”
