By Darryl John Esguerra | Philippine News Agency
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Tuesday received the credentials of newly designated United States Ambassador to the Philippines Lee Lipton in Malacañang, officially welcoming the new diplomat and formalizing his deployment to the country.
According to the Palace, Marcos and Lipton discussed shared priorities, including economic cooperation, defense and security, maritime affairs, regional developments and the Philippines’ chairship of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
The Philippines and the United States are treaty allies under the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty and have expanded cooperation in recent years through agreements covering defense, economic security, infrastructure, energy and people-to-people exchanges.
Marcos also expressed optimism that the Philippines and the United States would continue expanding cooperation across strategic, economic and people-to-people initiatives.
Lipton arrived in Manila on June 28. He replaced former U.S. Ambassador MaryKay Carlson.
Prior to his appointment to the Philippines, Lipton served as chief of staff to the U.S. Mission to the Organization of American States (OAS) beginning January 2025, where he helped lead American engagement on regional security concerns, including the situation in Haiti and efforts to counter malign foreign influence in the Western Hemisphere.
U.S. President Donald Trump confirmed Lipton’s nomination in May.
In a statement following his nomination, Lipton identified strengthening Philippine-U.S. security cooperation as among his key priorities, alongside enhancing supply chains, advancing the Luzon Economic Corridor initiative, and promoting fair and transparent trade.
