MaryKay Carlson, the United States' new ambassador to the Philippines, will be arriving by the end of the month.

"We are really excited to welcome very soon our new ambassador, Ambassador MaryKay Carlson. She will be here in the Philippines by the end of the month," Chargè d'Affaires Heather Variava told journalists at the embassy's US Independence Day reception Friday evening.

"She's now in Washington having meetings preparing to come out here in the Philippines and I'm looking forward to taking on my role as her deputy once she gets here at the end of the month. So stay tuned there's a lot more to come with our new ambassador," added Variava.

The post of US Ambassador to the Philippines has not been unoccupied since October 2020.

Carlson was deputy chief of mission at the US Embassy in Buenos Aires, Argentina prior to her appointment in Manila. DMS