PRESIDENT Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos, Jr. is eyeing to forge more public-private partnerships (PPP) to help in the country’s pandemic recovery during his trip to the United States (US) this week for the 77th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).
In his pre-departure speech at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 2 Sunday morning, Marcos said the local business leaders accompanying him will help attract additional private sector investors to the country.
“I will also participate in business activities to forge more partnerships to advance our national economic and sustainable development in general,” Marcos said.
“ I will be joined in these meetings by key private sector representatives who have been and will continue to be our partners in this endeavor. More vibrant PPPs will allow us to achieve the better normal that we all aspire for,” he added.
Among the Cabinet officials to accompany Marcos during his US trip are Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique A. Manalo, Finance Secretary Benjamin E. Diokno, Public Works Secretary Manuel M. Bonoan, Trade Secretary Alfredo Pascual, Tourism Secretary Ma. Esperanza G. Frasco, Transportation Secretary Jaime J. Bautista, Budget Secretary Amenah F. Pangandaman, Energy Secretary Raphael M. Lotilla, Information and Communications Technology Secretary Ivan E. Uy, Migrant Workers Secretary Susan Ople, Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Arsenio M. Balisacan and Press Secretary Beatrix “Trixie” Cruz-Angeles.
Last Friday, Malacañang announced Marcos will be joined by a business delegation to hold an economic briefing in the US to help draw more foreign investments to the country.
The President will meet with the US Chamber of Commerce and the US-ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nation) Business Council for possible business deals.
Marcos will be in the US from September 18 to 24 to attend the UNGA together with more than 150 other heads of state.
He is scheduled to deliver on Tuesday his speech where he will “outline” his expectations in the UN as well as the role the country will play in strengthening the “international system.”
“We affirm the country’s commitment to the ideals of the UN, citing its contributions to peaceful settlement of disputes and of international law and highlighting the importance of the UN in fostering international dialogue and cooperation,” Marcos said.
The speech, Marcos said, will also focus on “people-centric development” and the government’s thrust in economic recovery, food security and agricultural productivity.
During his US trip, Marcos will also hold bilateral meetings with the country’s “long-standing and important partners” as well as meet with the Filipino community. Angeles said Vice President Sara Z. Duterte will serve as caretaker of the Office of the President, while Marcos is still in the US.
House upbeat
The leadership of the House of Representatives is confident that the US visit of President Marcos Jr. be a significant source of investments.
“I expect the US visit to reap a lot of benefits for our country and the more than 4 million Filipinos and Filipino-Americans living or working in America,” Speaker Martin Romualdez said in a statement, noting that the US trip follows Marcos’s recent successful trip to Indonesia and Singapore, which yielded some $14 billion in supply and investment pledges from Indonesian and Singaporean businessmen.
Romualdez, who will join the visit, noted that the US is also a significant source of investments, the Philippines’s major trading and economic cooperation partner and ally, and the biggest source of remittances from overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and Filipino-Americans. The latest Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) report said remittances from Filipinos working abroad increased by 2.3 percent year-on-year to reach $3.17 billion in July from $3.17 billion in the same month of 2021. The US remained the biggest source of cash remittances followed by Singapore, and Saudi Arabia.
Image credits: AP/Andrew Harnik