"I have never been prouder to stand as a Filipino in the company of world leaders."
House Speaker Martin Romualdez had this to say Wednesday, Sept. 21 after witnessing President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr.'s historic address at the 77th United Nations (UN) General Assembly in New York City.
Romualdez is part of the official delegation of President Marcos, his cousin.
"It was a great experience to see and hear our President spell out, in clear terms, what we as a people expect from the parliament of nations," Romualdez said, referring to the reaffirmation made by the Philippine leader of the ideals upheld and promoted by the UN.
Accordign to the House Speaker, Marcos's participation at the event was "a symbolic act that would play a significant role in advancing peace and stability not only in the Southeast Asian region but in the Philippine’s sphere of influence as well".
He said Marcos' remarks — his first on the world stage — show "how we all need to work together to address the urgent problems plaguing the globe in this generation...That we need to act fast if want humanity to survive.".
“The UN has long been an independent arbiter and an effective facilitator of the international dialogue between and among nations. It continues to be our country’s honor to be part of this global family of nations that has continued to remain faithful to its mission of fostering world peace,” said Romualdez, who represents Leyte in Philippine Congress.
He said the President’s call for global unity "resonates with each one of us who fear what the tectonic shifts in the world today may bring in the coming century".
"The President’s words struck a chord in every Filipino household. He verbalized what an average Filipino family would want to tell world leaders: please get your acts together so that we keep families all over the world feeling safe and secure for generations to come," Romualdez said.
In conclusion, the Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats ( Lakas-CMD) president thanked Marcos "for emphasizing to the community of nations what to expect from the Filipino nation...That we are a friend to all, and enemy of none."