ROBUST TIES. US Ambassador MaryKay Carlson (left) leads the US Independence Day celebration in a reception at the Shangri-La The Fort in Taguig City on Thursday night (July 3, 2025). Joining her at the stage were DFA Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro and Archbishop Charles John Brown, the Apostolic Nuncio to the Philippines. (PNA photo by Joyce Ann Rocamora)
MANILA – The Philippines is eager to sustain the momentum in its robust partnership with the United States, Foreign Affairs Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro said.
Speaking at the 249th US Independence Day reception in Taguig City on Thursday night, the new Filipino top diplomat highlighted the dynamic Philippine-US engagement across all areas of cooperation from political, security, and defense to trade, investment, and development.
“For our alliance to be strong politically, it must also be strong economically, underpinned by our shared commitment to the peace, prosperity, and stability of the Indo-Pacific region. We are eager to sustain the momentum in our bilateral relations,” Lazaro said in her toast remarks.
This year alone, several high-level US officials have already visited the Philippines, including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in March.
Lazaro said Manila also continues to engage Washington DC in several bilateral dialogues to improve cooperation in the maritime domain, science and technology, democracy, trade and investment, energy, aviation, and outer space.
Last month, the US government likewise announced new technical assistance funding for the construction of the Subic-Clark-Manila-Batangas railway under the Luzon Economic Corridor, an initiative launched through the trilateral partnership among the Philippines, the US, and Japan.
“These flurries of activities are a testament to the strength and depth of the relations. Sustaining this momentum will not only reinforce the strength of our alliance and the maturity of our institutional linkages, but also ensure that our partnership remains relevant and responsive to current and emerging challenges,” Lazaro said.
US Ambassador to the Philippines MaryKay Carlson, in the same event, reflected on the shared history and enduring ties between the two states.
“Our nations are bound by more than history; we are partners in forging a safe, strong, and prosperous future, defending freedom of navigation, fostering economic opportunity, promoting peace through strength, and advancing cybersecurity,” she said.
“In all of these endeavors and many more, the United States is proud to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the Philippines.”
Several dignitaries joined the US in celebrating its Independence Day and the Philippine-American Friendship Day, among them Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr., presidential sister Irene Marcos-Araneta, and Olympic gold medalist Carlos Yulo. (PNA)
