I have previously written, on occasion, about MaryKay Loss Carlson in this column. My most recent encounter with the outgoing United States ambassador to the Philippines came earlier this month, during an event that underscored both cultural exchange and the enduring ties between Washington and Manila.
I first saw Ambassador Carlson during the celebration of Malaysia’s Independence Day at a hotel in Makati City. She stood out not through formality, but through an ease of presence marked by simplicity and warmth. At the gathering, she was in conversation with my relative Connie Guanzon-Garcia, the wife of diplomat Victor Garcia, with whom I once stayed briefly in Kobe, Japan. The evening also brought together figures from diplomacy, society, and the arts, including glass sculptor Ramon Orlina and his wife, Atty. Lay Ann Lee Orlina, society columnist Becky Garcia, and Malaysian Ambassador Dato’ Abdul Malik Melvin Castelino.
At a later point, I attempted to arrange an interview with Ambassador Carlson through the U.S. Embassy Manila’s Public Affairs Office. Despite earlier professional encounters with embassy officials at academic events, the request did not materialize into a response.
That changed on January 15, 2026, during the reopening of the Likhang Filipino Exhibition Halls at the ITC Complex in Pasay City. The exhibition, managed by DTI-CITEM under Executive Director Leah Pulido Ocampo and supported by First Lady Louise Araneta-Marcos, became the setting for a brief but timely exchange with Ambassador Carlson, who is set to conclude her posting.
In a short interview, she described 2026 as “a big year” for U.S.–Philippine relations. The year marks the 80th anniversary of formal diplomatic relations, established on July 4, 1946, following Philippine independence. Joint commemorations are planned to highlight cooperation across trade, defense, and cultural exchange. She noted that while official relations date to 1946, the diplomatic engagement between the two countries reaches further back, including early efforts by Filipino envoys at the turn of the 20th century.
Ambassador Carlson added that 2026 also coincides with several significant milestones: the 250th anniversary of American independence, the 75th anniversary of the Mutual Defense Treaty signed in 1951, the 10th anniversary of the UNCLOS arbitral ruling on the West Philippine Sea, and the Philippines’ chairmanship of ASEAN.
Though she will retire from her post at the end of the month, Carlson emphasized that her commitment to the bilateral relationship will not end with her departure.
“Even though I will leave the Philippines, I will continue to be a proponent of this relationship,” she said.
As she prepares to leave Manila, she reflected on her years in the country with evident affection.
“I will surely treasure my wonderful memories of the Philippines,” she added.
Her tenure has left a visible imprint across diplomatic, economic, and people-to-people initiatives, and her departure will be felt across the communities she engaged.
More on Ambassador Carlson
Ambassador MaryKay Loss Carlson was nominated on February 4, 2022, as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the Republic of the Philippines and was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on May 5, 2022. She is a career member of the Senior Foreign Service with the rank of Minister-Counselor.
Prior to her posting in Manila, she served as Deputy Chief of Mission and Chargé d’Affaires at the U.S. Embassy in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and earlier held similar roles in New Delhi, India. Her Washington assignments included serving as Principal Deputy Executive Secretary to the U.S. Secretary of State. A Foreign Service officer since 1985, she has held posts in China, Ukraine, Hong Kong, Mozambique, Kenya, and the Dominican Republic, among others. Her domestic roles include Director of the Secretary’s Executive Secretariat Staff and Deputy Director of Korean Affairs.
A native of Little Rock, Arkansas, she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Spanish and International Studies from Rhodes College, and holds master’s degrees from Georgetown University in International Relations and from the National War College in National Security Studies. She is married to retired Foreign Service officer Aubrey Alexander Carlson, and they have two daughters.
* * *
The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Asian Journal, its management, editorial board and staff.