Manila, June 17, 2022—In celebration of 75 years of US-Philippine Relations, the East-West Center (EWC) launched the “Philippines Matters for America/America Matters for the Philippines” publication and website in Washington, DC on June 13 and in Manila on June 15.
Produced by EWC with support from the U.S. Embassy in the Philippines, the publication and accompanying data visualizations highlight the deep historical and contemporary significance of the relationship between the United States and the Philippines, featuring analysis of economic, diplomatic, and cultural ties at the national, state, and local levels.
EWC President Suzanne Vares-Lum noted that the statistics on business, diplomacy, security, education, and tourism presented in the publication “paint a picture of the positive impact of the U.S.-Philippine relationship.” EWC Vice President Satu Limaye added that this also showed “the range and depth of our two countries’ connections and cooperation.”
“Although the challenges are different than they were 75 years ago, our countries are still working side by side,” U.S. Embassy in the Philippines Chargé d’Affaires ad interim Heather Variava said. “We firmly stand united with the Philippines and as we mark the culmination of the 75th anniversary of our diplomatic relationship, the story of our cooperation as friends, partners, and allies makes us extremely proud.”
Philippine Ambassador to the United States Jose Manuel G. Romualdez said that there is no doubt the Philippines matters for the United States and the United States matters for the Philippines. He added that the relationship between the two countries “has definitely stood the test of time and remains relevant amid new and emerging challenges.”
“As President-elect Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. told Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman when they met in Manila recently, the Philippines’ partnership with the United States ‘is not just a memory but a part of us,’” said Ambassador Romualdez. “This is true not only in terms of our government-to-government relations but in the close ties between our two peoples. This publication best encapsulates the result of 75 long years of partnership in many areas such as political and security, economic, and people-to-people ties.”
To view the publication, visit https://asiamattersforamerica.org/philippines/publications.