JAKARTA, Indonesia—President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. on Sunday, Sept 4, arrived at Soekarno–Hatta International Airport at around 12:35 p.m. (1:35 p.m. Philippine time) to embark on his first state visit since assuming the highest seat.
Marcos Jr. flew here onboard a presidential plane—PR001—which also carried other Philippine delegates, including his wife, First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos and Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Secretary Enrique Manalo.
Members of his economic team, composed of Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Sec. Amenah Pangandaman, Department of Finance (DOF) Sec. Benjamin Diokno, Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Sec. Alfredo Pascual, National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Sec. Arsenio Balisacan and Bangko Sentral of the Philippines (BSP) Governor Felipe Medalla, were also part of the delegation.
Before his departure, the President faced the public at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 2 to reiterate the highlights of his trip, which include strengthening the country's bilateral relations with Indonesia and promoting investments in the Philippines.
It was followed by departure rites led by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP). AFP chief Lt. Gen. Bartolome Vicente Bacarro accompanied his commander-in-chief during the ceremony.
Marcos Jr., concurrent chief of the Department of Agriculture (DA), also bared plans to discuss Agriculture matters—which were not part of the initial advisory regarding his trip—with Indonesian President Joko Widodo, who invited him for the visit.
"Beyond that, we will also be seeking the partnership and the help of our friends in Indonesia from the President and our friends in Indonesia for investment in the areas where we see that they can be of assistance especially in the critical areas we have identified them in agriculture and in energy," he said in his speech.
Marcos will then be escorted to a hotel in Central Jakarta to face the Filipino community.
As of June 2022, there are about 7451 Filipinos working in various sectors in Indonesia, DFA spokesperson Ma. Teresita Daza said.