CELEBRATING 75 years of bilateral relations, the East-West Center (EWC) launched on June 15 the Philippines Matters for America/America Matters for the Philippines publication and web site in Washington, D.C. on June 13, and in Manila.
Produced by EWC with support from the United States Embassy in the Philippines, the infographics-based publication and accompanying data visualizations highlight the deep historical and contemporary significance of the linkages between the two countries, featuring analyses 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 “paint a picture of the positive impact of the US-Philippine relationship.” EWC Vice President Satu Limaye added that it also showed “the range and depth of [their] connections and cooperation.”
“Although the challenges are different than they were 75 years ago, our countries are still working side by side,” US Embassy 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.”
Over in the US capital, Ambassador Jose Manuel Romualdez said that, undoubtedly, the Philippines matters for the US, and vice versa. He added that the relationship between the two “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’s partnership with the US ‘is not just a memory, but a part of us,’” said 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 [ties] in many areas.”
The web version is accessible via https://asiamattersforamerica.org/philippines/publications.
The launch event was held alongside the diplomatic reception hosted by the embassy to mark the 124th anniversary of the Philippine Independence declaration.
Image credits: US Embassy, Washington, D.C. PE