US envoy ends stint in PH after more than three years

Washington's top diplomat to Manila, MaryKay Carlson, has concluded her more than three-year stint in the country, where she has worked to further strengthen the longstanding alliance between the United States and the Philippines.

Appointed by former US President Joe Biden in 2022, Carlson, a seasoned career diplomat, spearheaded efforts to expand the two allies' defense cooperation and strengthen economic ties amid evolving security challenges in the Indo-Pacific, such as China's growing aggression in the South China Sea.

US President Donald Trump has named Lee Lipton, a businessman from Florida, to replace Carlson.

In a farewell message on Friday, Carlson looked back on some of the milestones of her three and a half years in Manila, from navigating complex diplomatic issues to learning to embrace the Filipinos' love and passion for karaoke.

Before assuming her post in Manila, Carlson said she spoke to every living former American ambassador to the Philippines and numerous others to prepare for her new assignment.

"All spoke of the warmth and hospitality of the Filipino people; the importance of our shared history and values; and the rewarding and consequential work we do together as allies and partners," she recalled.

Karaoke song, Christmas trees

While she received great advice, she said she was struck by one persistent question: "What’s your song?"

"People earnestly counseled me to select a song I would be willing to sing in public. But I had never sung karaoke! Thankfully, I quickly learned that renowned Filipino hospitality extends to being very forgiving of one’s vocal range," she quipped.

Over the last three-plus years, she said she would always belt out Louis Armstrong’s “A Kiss to Build a Dream On” many times "because it’s short and has a long instrumental interlude."

"It’s not about how well you sing; it’s about the shared experience that helps build meaningful relationships. In the Philippines, contacts become colleagues; colleagues become friends; and friends become family."

Known for her elaborate Halloween and holiday displays, Carlson puts up at least a dozen Christmas trees adorned with mementos from her travels and diplomatic postings, transforming her official residence in Manila every year into a festive sanctuary that enchants visitors, including those from the Philippine media.

US-Philippine ties

As she leaves her post, Carlson said she expects US-Philippines ties to march on and become stronger than ever.

She vowed to continue championing the two nations' relations, "confident that our hard-working embassy teams and vast network of American and Filipino friends, partners, and allies will continue to build relationships of trust that benefit our nations."

Under her watch, Carlson said ties between Manila amd Washington "as friends, partners, and allies" have "never been stronger or more consequential."

A recent poll showing 82 percent of Filipinos trust the US as their premier security partner and the sheer number of visits and engagements by its senior-level officials and business leaders demonstrates the importance Americans place on relations with the Philippines.

"Our relationship shapes lives, drives progress and prosperity, and secures futures on both sides of the Pacific," she said, while "strong people-to-people and cultural ties enrich our lives."'

"I’ve seen this in our shared obsession with basketball and our love of good food – I’ll miss the fresh mangoes and lumpia," she said.

During her term, Carlson said she was proud how "our two countries have worked together – 'on hyperdrive' – to achieve progress in trade and economic cooperation, bolstering our shared prosperity. 

Multiple US trade missions, on the other hard, opened new avenues for investment and partnership, while the Luzon Economic Corridora, a US-envisioned growth region in Asia, in collaboration with Japan, is seen to drive infrastructure development, job creation, and sustainable growth.

In 2025 alone, she said Washington has committed more than $313 million in foreign assistance to the Philippines to stop the spread of disease, promote maternal and child health, counter illegal fishing, foster energy security, and promote economic development.

On the military and security front, she said "our ironclad alliance is stronger than ever, ensuring peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific."

The Philippines and the US, she said, have increased the complexity and size of their major annual exercise, called Balikatan or shoulder-to-shoulder, and established the Task Force Philippines to facilitate comprehensive, archipelagic defense and disaster response coordination.

In the face of China’s increasing assertiveness in the region, Filipino and American soldiers held joint training to boost deterrence against "emerging threats" and to boost their preparation for natural disasters.

Significant US support for defense modernization also included new funding and technology transfers to strengthen the capabilities of the Philippine Armed Forces and Coast Guard, she added.

The US likewise introduced targeted maritime assistance programs, "promoting freedom of navigation and countering coercion in the West Philippine Sea."

"And we stood together to save lives with military airlifts that delivered family food packs and emergency supplies to Filipinos throughout the country," she added.

'Kumukutikutitap'

Ending her message, Carlson said "serving as the US Ambassador to the Philippines has been an honor – the highlight of my forty-year career."

And as she wraps up her diplomatic tour, the diplomat, who hails from Little Rock, Arkansas, said she has finally found the song that best describes her Philippine experience.

"The quintessential Filipino holiday tune 'Kumukutikutitap' by Ryan Cayabyab is the song I take in my heart – along with fond memories of sparkling parols, friends and family, and the sheer joy that accompanies the longest Christmas season in the world!" — BAP, GMA Integrated News