US Ambassador to the Philippines MaryKay Loss Carlson. Photo by INQUIRER.net file photo / Ryan Leagogo
PULILAN, Bulacan—United States (US) Ambassador to the Philippines Marykay Carlson had a taste of Bulacan’s culture and tradition during her first visit to the province to attend a forum on Saturday.
A barrio fiesta mood featuring Pulilan’s carabao festival and tradition welcomed Carlson and her delegation from the US Embassy in the country, which includes her husband, at North Polo Club in Barangay Penabatan.
The Dangal ng Bulacan Foundation, Inc. (DBFI), a non-stock, non-profit organization of the “Dangal ng Lipi” awardees, the highest honor bestowed by the Bulacan provincial government to its outstanding natives in different fields of expertise, initiated and hosted the forum dubbed as, “Usapang Dangal—Philippine-US Relations: The US Ambassador Speaks.”
Carlson, at the event, spoke about the friendship, partnership, ties and alliance of the United States of America to the Philippines through education and school development scholarship program, economic development and family business, security, environmental protection and shared strong values.
She said that since 1961, the US government, through its Agency International Development (AID) fund, has already invested P290 billion worth of support for Philippine development.
This include educational and employment opportunity to more than 40,000 out-of-school youth and the new US-AID project that provides security and protection to 1.1 million environmental biological marine terrestrial areas in the Philippines. The project aims to help improve the management of the said natural resources which is seven times larger than Metro Manila protected from environmental degradation.
‘People to people ties’
“The US and the Philippines have a long standing vibrant people to people ties. It is very clear that the relationship between the two countries has a positive tone that is set at the very top as President Marcos is emphasizing on the economic future of the country with a close bond with the US and the US feels the same way,” Carlson said.
She announced that President Marcos is set to visit Washington soon.
“He is meeting President Biden in the White House. I am sure he will reaffirm the very strong friendship in the same way he did last September when the two leaders met at the United Nations in New York,” she added.
“Our friendship brought its strength from individual level connection between our people as well, which connections goes back generations. You’ve lived with that. Seventy five years ago, the US had a Fullbright Scholarship program and several others wherein thousands of Pinoy and Americans have benefited,” the US Ambassador said.
She said there are some 300,000 US citizens living in the Philippines. She added that the Philippines is the only country in the world that has a veterans’ affairs office outside the US.
Meanwhile, there are over 4 million Filipino-Americans in the US, she said.
Security and defense allies
As allies in security and defense, Carlson also spoke about the success and impact of the recently concluded Balikatan exercises and the extension of the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) sites in the country.
She said the last Balikatan exercises we the largest yet with 17,000 combined troops from both countries participating as national relief and response forces to disaster which “includes challenges to international order including issues about West Philippine Sea, environmental degradation, to confront any challenges that may come our way.”
“We are not threatening others, we are protecting our people and if there will be a need for civil military operations during an emergency being the Philippines one of the most vulnerable to climate change and disasters. We are now expanding this in scale. The biggest most comprehensive complex Balikatan exercises that we just completed is a major achievement in the alliance and the extension of EDCA. The multiple projects will bring development in the areas and for military operability to work together easily to respond to threats and for the Philippines to modernize their structure that is very important to the military which will also strengthen the alliance of the two countries to respond based on democratic values,” she said.
Carlson also spoke about the change in the landscape of the air transport system in the Philippines with the P745 billion worth New Manila International Airport in Bulacan set to operate soon.
“What we see is the centrality of transport, communication and infrastructure including digitalization,” she said.
Carlson said she, her husband and two daughters were amazed with the hospitality and warmth Filipinos have shown to them when she assumed her post in July last year. Carmelita Reyes-Estrope, Inquirer Central Luzon
RELATED STORY:
US Senate confirms new ambassador to PH