NEW YORK, USA — President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. expressed confidence that the Philippines will enjoy a "more resilient" economy as it builds stronger ties with investors from the United States of America and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member countries.
Marcos said this during his joint meeting with the US Chamber of Commerce and the US-ASEAN Business Council at The St. Regis New York here.
In a series of tweets, the President said his meetings with the two bodies aimed to chart new paths for furthering mutually beneficial economic and investment agendas with the USA.
Marcos is confident that the Philippines will have a more resilient economy as it reopens amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
"As we reopen our borders amid the pandemic, we remain firm in our belief that stronger ties with US and ASEAN investors will lead us to a more resilient economy," he said.
In his remarks during the joint meeting, President Marcos cited the need to leverage whatever assets and capabilities they have "so that we can maximize our ability to grow and to pull the economy."
"Let us find new ways to partner, let us find new ways to develop, and let us find new ways to strengthen this relationship between the United States, ASEAN, and the Philippines," he said.
"In that way, the synergy we will find in that kind of relationship will be to the benefit of us all," he added.
Meanwhile, the President also discussed with the two bodies the Philippines’ priorities as conveyed in his national statement during the 77th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) High-Level General Debate, and the bilateral economic and investment agenda of the Philippine Government.
The US-ASEAN Business Council has been the premier advocacy organization for US corporations operating within the ASEAN for over 35 years. It is an avenue where the US private sector promotes mutually beneficial trade and investment relations between the United States and Southeast Asia — the leading investment destination of the US in the Indo-Pacific.
The US Chamber of Commerce, on the other hand, is an assembly of small businesses and chambers of commerce across the United States that support communities, leading industry organizations, and international corporations that innovate and provide solutions to global challenges, and the emerging and fast-growing industries. Since its founding, it has advocated for policies that help businesses generate jobs and grow the economy.