PRESIDENT Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos Jr. on Sunday flew to Indonesia for the first leg of the series of trips he will be undertaking this week to secure new overseas partnerships to help in the country’s post-pandemic economic recovery.
In his speech prior to his departure at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 2 in Pasay City, Marcos said one of the primary goals of his travels in Indonesia and Singapore will be to get new investments abroad.
“My State Visits to our ASEAN neighbors will seek to harness the potentials of our vibrant trade and investment relations. As such, an economic briefing, business forums and meetings have been organized to proactively create and attract more investments and buyers for our exports, in order to accelerate the post-pandemic growth of our economy,” Marcos said.
“I expect that we will be coming back with a harvest of business deals to be signed in my State Visits that will further strengthen our economic ties with both Indonesia and Singapore,” he added.
Marcos meets Filcom
Marcos Jr. met Filipino workers and residents in Indonesia Sunday afternoon, just a few hours after landing in Jakarta.
Around 1,000 Filipinos attended the meet and greet event in a hotel in Jakarta, waving flaglets as they excitedly welcomed the President, who was joined onstage by First Lady Marie Louise “Liza” Araneta-Marcos, son and Ilocos Rep. Sandro Marcos, and Cabinet secretaries.
Seventy percent of the 7,451 Filipinos in Indonesia are managerial, technical or professional level positions as company directors, engineers, accountants, supervisors and teachers. In 2021, remittances from Filipinos in Indonesia reached US$17.5 million.
Meanwhile, the parents of Filipino domestic helper Mary Jane Veloso appealed to Marcos to ask Indonesian President Joko Widodo for executive clemency.
Veloso still faces the death penalty after being arrested for drug trafficking. Marcos is expected to meet Widodo Monday.
“We ask you, Mr. President, to please ask for executive clemency from President Joko Widodo of Indonesia so Mary Jane Veloso can be freed. She has been in prison for 12 years and separated from her two children,” Mary Jane’s parents Cesar and Celia wrote in a letter, in Filipino, dated September 2.
The letter to President Marcos was coursed through Migrant Workers Secretary Susan “Toots” Ople.
Ople said because of the “very sensitive dimensions” of the issue, they could not provide more details about Veloso’s case. She said the Department of Foreign Affairs will take the lead on the case because it has “the institutional memory and knowledge” since the case started.
“The DMW will defer to the DFA, and I am sure that Sec. [Enrique] Manalo will be, at the appropriate time be open to saying more about this case,” Ople said in a briefing with Philippine reporters in Jakarta. “Let’s just keep praying. Because here’s a diplomatic track and divine track through prayers.
Let’s just continue to hope and pray with the family. Whatever will be discussed in the case of Mary Jane won’t end with the visit, so DFA is using the diplomatic track.”
State visits
THE first part of his trip will be his first ever State Visit during his term. He will be in Indonesia from Sept. 4 to 6 upon the invitation of Indonesian President Joko Widodo.
Marcos said among those expected to be signed in the visit is the Philippines-Indonesia Plan of Action for the next five years, to include agreements on defense and security, on the creative economy, and culture.
Manila is eyeing the assistance of Indonesia to get investments in critical areas of the economy, particularly agriculture and energy, the President said.
Marcos will then head to Singapore Sept. 6 and 7 for another State Visit, where he will meet with President Halimah Yacob and Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong for the signing of several bilateral agreements.
As part of his itinerary in Indonesia and Singapore, Marcos will also meet with the Filipino communities staying in both countries, to present the government initiatives to improve their welfare.
Official delegation
His delegation also includes Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique A. Manalo, Finance Secretary Benjamin E. Diokno, Trade Secretary Alfredo E. Pascual, Budget Secretary Amenah F. Pangandaman, Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Arsenio M. Balisacan and Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Felipe M. Medalla.
Marcos designated Vice President Sara Z. Duterte to be his caretaker to handle the day-to-day operations of the Office of President, while he is on his State Visits this week.
“All acts of the Vice President for and on behalf of the President pursuant to his Order shall be deemed acts of the President, unless disapproved or reprobated by the President,” Marcos said in his Special Order No, 75 dated Sept. 2, 2022.
Image credits: AP/Andrew Harnik