Read this in The Manila Times digital edition.
(UPDATED) PRESIDENT Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. arrived Sunday from his week-long working visit to the United States, optimistic of a rebound in the Philippine economy.
In his arrival statement at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, the 65-year-old Marcos recapped his activities while he was in New York City, the bulk of which were meetings with American business leaders.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. arrives in the Philippines after his six-day working visit in the United States on Sunday morning, September 25, 2022 at Ninoy Aquino International Airport. PHOTO BY JOHN RYAN BALDEMOR
“I met with a number of business leaders from different US companies during the week. And all of them committed to be a part of our development and economic growth. Together, we will be working on addressing some of our key economic challenges, particularly once again climate change, food security, energy security, to name but a few,” he said.
The President sees “good news to share in the next few months, particularly in terms of their [American businessmen’s] plans to expand and further broaden their investment footprint in our country.”
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. arrives in the Philippines after his six-day working visit in the United States on Sunday morning, September 25, 2022 at Ninoy Aquino International Airport. PHOTO BY JOHN RYAN BALDEMOR
He said his discussion with the US business community “affirms the optimism with which international investors view the Philippines today.”
The President made his pitch that “the time to invest in the Philippines is no longer just sometime in the future, it is now.”
He named the Information Technology and Business Process Management (IT-BPM), digital infrastructure, garments and apparel, and industry and infrastructure as among the sectors most likely to attract investors in the coming months.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. arrives in the Philippines after his six-day working visit in the United States on Sunday morning, September 25, 2022 at Ninoy Aquino International Airport. PHOTO BY JOHN RYAN BALDEMOR
“I was joined by the economic managers and other Cabinet members in brainstorming with these US companies, some already present and others intending to be in the Philippines,” he said.
“We identified the opportunities and challenges to our achieving our common objectives of growth and development in various areas. I thanked them for their candid and constructive comments, and I look forward to working with them on the issues and agreements that we identified,” he added.
Apart from participating in roundtable business discussions, Marcos also met with the Filipino community in the East Coast as well as state leaders including US President Joe Biden and Japan Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. arrives in the Philippines after his six-day working visit in the United States on Sunday morning, September 25, 2022 at Ninoy Aquino International Airport. PHOTO BY JOHN RYAN BALDEMOR
The meetings happened at the side of the United Nations General Assembly before which the President gave a speech.
Marcos brought up global issues which “require a united global action” such as climate change, rising food prices, rapid technological change, the peaceful resolution of international disputes, the need to protect the vulnerable sectors of the society such as migrants, and ending all forms of prejudice.
“I articulated the role we see for the Philippines’ working with the United Nations in building a brighter future for our people and a safer and more just world for all of us,” he said.
He touched on the government’s efforts to achieve lasting peace in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, boosting agricultural productivity, and promoting human rights through the UN Joint Program on Human Rights.
The President also reiterated his policy on upholding the primacy of the rule of law — particularly in relation to the territorial dispute in the South China Sea — “as embodied by the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea or Unclos.”
Overall, Marcos said, he and his team achieved what they aimed for in his trip.
“We in the Philippine delegation are one in our assessment that the work done in this trip serves as a good start for opportunities identified to be made into programs and projects to benefit the Philippines and our countrymen,” he said.
“And so, the work continues, but I am happy to report that we have had a very good and strong start to our efforts,” Marcos said.