WASHINGTON, D.C.—Filipinos in the United States are a fundamental part of the country, a high-ranking US official said.
President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr. meets with the Filipino community in Washington D.C. on Monday, May 1, 2023. (KJ Rosales/PPA POOL)
During a dinner hosted by the Philippine Embassy for President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. on Monday night, May 1, United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken highlighted the importance of Filipinos and Filipino-Americans in building the strong foundation of the United States.
“Filipinos and Filipino-Americans are a fundamental part of the fabric of the United States," Blinken said.
Blinken also cited the role of Filipinos in international relations, noting one of his most senior officials in the State Department, Michele Sison, his assistant secretary for international organizations.
Marcos also said the same thing to Filipinos in the US when he met them on Monday afternoon.
He told them that they were among the foundations that strengthen the Philippines' relationship with the US.
"You are valued members now of American society. Your success here has made us very, very proud back home," Marcos said.
Blinken also said that the Philippines and the United States have forged a bond 70 years ago based on arbitral defense and security, galvanizing and further strengthening the two nations’ ties.
“We pledged our faith on the principles of the United Nations charter,” the US official said in the presence of key US cabinet secretaries, noting that both countries have reaffirmed their desire to maintain peace and order in the Pacific region.
“And just last year, thanks to the leadership of President (Joseph) Biden and President Marcos, we have significantly strengthened our alliance. We’ve launched new initiatives together to create economic opportunities for Americans and Filipinos alike. Because last year, trade between our countries was worth more than $25 billion, a new record, and today President Biden announced that he will send the first ever presidential trade and investment mission to the Philippines,” Blinken said.
The US official also pointed out that the two countries have laid out plans to initiate new clean energy projects that will not only increase power outputs “but also create good paying jobs for both our countries.”
Working with their Filipino counterparts, Blinken said they have taken steps to modernize security alliances “so that our forces can work even closer together despite natural disasters.”
As of June 2020, the US is the top destination for overseas Filipinos. There are about 4.21 million Filipinos in the US, making Filipinos the third largest Asian group in the country.