Ambassador Lee Lipton’s Official Visit to Cebu

U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines Lee Lipton built U.S.-Philippines connections in the Visayas, hosting a U.S. Independence Day reception in Mactan for the first time ever, showcasing American excellence, and strengthening partnerships that promote the safety, security, and prosperity of Americans and Filipinos.

“We host an Independence Day event in Manila every year, but I knew that, for America’s 250th birthday, we also had to bring the celebration to the Queen City of the South,” Ambassador Lipton said, adding, “U.S. companies have invested nearly $400 million in Cebu and the broader Visayas region.”

Honored guests included Philippines Department of Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Maria Andrelita Austria, Cebu Governor Pamela Baricuatro, Lapu-Lapu Representative Junard Chan, and Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Cynthia King Chan.

During the celebration, guests were treated to American hits such as “New York, New York,” “Fly Me to the Moon,” and “I’m So Excited,” performed by top local band Kerara Soul Cebu. Iconic images transported guests across the United States from New York’s skyline to the White House to Arizona’s majestic Grand Canyon to San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge, bringing the United States into the heart of Cebu.

Ambassador Lipton’s visit also highlighted more of America’s connections to the Visayas region.
He toured the Philippines’ Mactan-Benito Ebuen Air Base with Brig. Gen. Luisito Angeles, Jr., to see the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement site where the United States funded a $2.7 million (PHP162.8 million) fuel storage facility and work is underway on logistical facilities that will support interoperability and disaster preparedness between American and Philippine armed forces. He also met with Philippine Air Force pilots and crew responsible for strategic airlift, including the operators of the S-70i Black Hawks originally developed in the United States. These helicopters are an important way that America is supporting Philippine military modernization.

In Lapu-Lapu City, Ambassador Lipton showcased American excellence in health technology with a delivery of GeneXpert cartridges that make Americans and Filipinos safer with quick, accurate, and easy tuberculosis detection. The delivery demonstrates the $600 million (PHP36 billion) health cooperation agreement between the United States and the Philippines in action.

“By working together in TB prevention here, we invest in the people of this city. We strengthen the enduring friendship between our nations,” Ambassador Lipton said. “It is a major commitment by the Trump Administration in our Alliance. We want stronger health systems, better disease detection, and healthier communities for both our countries.”

Ambassador Lipton discussed with Cebu Governor Baricuatro opportunities to expand cooperation in critical areas like promoting reciprocal trade, tourism, public health care, and educational and cultural exchanges as well as countering transnational crime.

Ambassador Lipton visited Glory Reborn, a nonprofit maternity and newborn health clinic. Its CEO and founder is American doctor Hilary Overton and it hosts a Peace Corps Volunteer who supports its First One Thousand Days Nutrition Program.

Ambassador Lipton’s trip to Cebu is part of ongoing efforts to further strengthen the enduring ties between the United States and the Philippines. In addition to America’s 250th anniversary, 2026 marks 80 years of U.S.-Philippines diplomatic relations and the 75th anniversary of the Mutual Defense Treaty.