MANILA – President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Tuesday expressed optimism that the Philippines and the United States would further strengthen their longstanding partnership as he welcomed newly appointed US Ambassador Lee Lipton at Malacañang.

Lipton formally presented his credentials to Marcos as the new United States envoy to the Philippines.

During the ceremony, Marcos said he was honored to receive the American ambassador and highlighted the enduring relationship between the two countries.

“As I am sure you are aware [of] the closeness between our two countries had endured over a hundred years, and that is something that we can continue to work on to bring us even closer and make our ties even deeper as we move forward into the next decade,” the President said.

“Our work together will be to promote the relationship to bring us even further. Once again, welcome to the Philippines.”

Lipton, for his part, said he would work to strengthen the Philippines-US partnership, particularly in the areas of security, economic and commercial cooperation, as well as the longstanding friendship between the two nations.

The envoy was nominated as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Philippines on Feb. 9, 2026, and was confirmed by the US Senate on May 18, 2026.

The Philippines and the United States established formal diplomatic relations on July 4, 1946, and are marking the 80th anniversary of those ties this year.

As of 2025, the United States was the Philippines’ third-largest trading partner, top export market and fifth-largest source of imports.

The government also noted that more than four million Filipinos and Americans of Filipino descent live in the United States, while about 750,000 Americans reside in the Philippines.

The United States remains a major source of foreign direct investments and tourists for the Philippines. In 2025, net US foreign direct investments reached US$183.99 million, while American visitors accounted for 1.32 million tourist arrivals, making the United States the country’s second-largest source of foreign tourists.

The United States is the Philippines’ oldest and only treaty ally, with bilateral defense cooperation anchored on the Mutual Defense Treaty, the Visiting Forces Agreement, the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement and other bilateral accords.