PULILAN, Bulacan — US Ambassador to the Philippines Marykay Carlson on Saturday said she is pushing to open the American Residence in Baguio to school tours to create “new touchstones” for younger generations of Filipinos and Americans.
“It’s my goal to open that in Baguio to have more opportunities for school children to have educational field trip there,” she said in a forum here.
“It is very important to me as an ambassador… to continue to underscore for future generations the enduring value of our partnerships,” she said.
“We need to make sure we have new touchstones as well that our children understand our deep history,” she added.
The American Residence in Baguio was completed in 1940 and “survived the ravages of World War II and a great earthquake in 1990,” according to information from the US Embassy in Manila.
It was developed during the leadership of first US Governor General William Howard Taft, who was not used to the heat in Manila.
During the World War II, the Japanese built “extensive escape tunnels under the building” as it served as the residence and headquarters of General Tomoyuki Yamashita.
“Since World War II, the Residence has been used by the Ambassador and other US government officials for relaxed meetings with Philippine notables,” according to the US Embassy in Manila.
“The traditional Christmas and Easter season receptions at the Residence hosted by generations of Ambassadors have become cherished institutions for hundreds of guests each year,” it read.