PH, US mark 80 years of partnership with new booklet

The Philippines and the United States have marked 80 years of partnership in business, diplomacy and people-to-people ties with the launch of a new edition of a booklet highlighting the countries' longstanding relationship.

The second edition of the booklet, “The Philippines Matters for America, America Matters for the Philippines,” commemorates eight decades of diplomatic relations between the two countries, which were established on July 4, 1946.

The first edition of the booklet was published in 2022.

A project led by the US East-West Center, an education and research organization, the booklet supposedly highlights the alliance, trade, investment, educational exchanges, partnerships and supply chains between the two countries.

During his speech, US Ambassador to the Philippines Lee Lipton underscored the strong relationship between the Philippines and the US and expressed confidence in its continued growth in the years ahead.

Among the areas of Philippine-US partnership highlighted by Lipton were the Luzon Economic Corridor, Pax Silica, artificial intelligence and nuclear energy.

“Our countries share an incredible, incredible history together. We're here to take our relationship to the next level,” Lipton said on Thursday.

Meanwhile, Department of Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Maria Andrelita Austria described the launch of the booklet as a “very strategic and timely” initiative as it coincides with the anniversary of diplomatic relations between the Philippines and the US.

“On July 4, 1946, the Philippines and the United States formally opened a new chapter in our shared history. It was a moment that started not only the recognition of Philippine independence, but also the beginning of a strong diplomatic partnership between two sovereign nations bound by history, democratic values and enduring people-to-people ties,” Austria said.

“Eighty years later, the relationship remains one of the Philippines' most important and deeply valued partnerships. Let me take this opportunity to highlight the top impacts and figures which underscore the depth and breadth of our alliance,” she added.

The booklet noted that bilateral trade between the two countries reached $41.7 billion in 2025, representing a 13% increase from 2024.

The United States is also the Philippines' top single-country trading partner for agricultural products, supplying 15% of its agricultural imports and buying 18% of its agricultural exports in 2025.

The booklet further indicated that US foreign direct investment (FDI) in the Philippines totaled $6 billion, while Philippine FDI in the US amounted to $532 million.

It also showed the number of jobs generated and supported through investments by the two countries, as well as the foreign assistance and health cooperation provided by the US to the Philippines.

Based on the booklet, exports to the Philippines supported 65,400 US jobs in 2024, the majority of which were in California, Texas and Washington.

Since 1949, US assistance to the Philippines has focused on economic development, peace and security, and health.

As of June 2025, the US had provided health assistance funding for global health security, tuberculosis, maternal and child health, neglected tropical diseases, integrated supply chains, nutrition and HIV/AIDS.

The booklet also highlighted Filipino medical workers, noting that they make up 5% of the nursing workforce and 3% of the healthcare workforce in the US.

The Philippines is also the top country of origin for immigrant healthcare professionals in the US, with Filipino immigrants comprising 12% of all foreign-born US healthcare workers.

The booklet also presented figures on income generated by Filipino visitors to the US, as well as the Filipino population, Filipino Americans in elected office and cultural connections between the two countries.

It said Filipinos make up 18% of the Asian American population in the United States, with an estimated 4.6 million people.

California, Hawaii, Texas, Washington and Nevada have the largest Filipino American populations.

Filipino Americans in Hawaii also have a strong political presence, with around 15% of state representatives and 24% of state senators being of Filipino descent.

From 2024 to 2025, there were 4,573 students from the Philippines studying in higher education institutions in the US.

Meanwhile, 326 American students studied in the Philippines from 2023 to 2024.

In terms of travel and tourism, the booklet showed that 1.1 million Americans visited the Philippines, while 315,000 Filipinos visited the US in 2025.

The US also earned $2 billion from Filipino tourist spending in 2024. Most Filipino visitors traveled to California, Florida and New York.

The year 2026 also marks the 75th anniversary of the Mutual Defense Treaty between the Philippines and the US, as well as the 250th anniversary of US independence.— MCG, GMA News