President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. returned to the country early this week after the 40th and 41st Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summits and Related Summits in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. He dubbed the participation of the Philippines — and his first as Chief Executive — as a success, owing to the numerous dialogues, meetings, and side talks made with our neighbors and allied countries.
Foremost, the President reported to the nation his call for unity among the ASEAN member states and the need for collective strength in order to address post-pandemic recovery issues. “We have similar challenges on food supply, fertilizer prices, oil prices, etc. Member states understand that we can’t do this alone. We need to be united and help each other,” he said.
The President also mentioned that other pressing issues were discussed, some of which required a “balancing act” as there were opposing sides to consider, such as the situation in Myanmar, the developments in the South China Sea, the war in Ukraine, the application of Timor-Leste for ASEAN membership, etc. During these talks, the President ensured that the Philippines extended its openness to listen and demonstrated receptiveness to cooperation and mutual interests.
“We reviewed the progress of our relations so far, in the initiatives and projects under ASEAN-led mechanisms. There was an exploration of possible new areas of cooperation with our dialogue partners. We exchanged views on regional and international issues,” he said, describing his participation in dialogues with the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.
As for bilateral meetings, the President had a fruitful discussion with leaders from Cambodia, Brunei, Canada, South Korea, and Vietnam. “In these meetings, we discussed how we can deepen cooperation in key areas and we exchanged views on important regional and global issues.”
More importantly, the economy was on top of the President’s agenda. “I invited (Cambodian) business leaders to visit and have a look at the opportunities that they might find in the Philippines, arising from the process of transforming the economy, given that it seems our direction for post-pandemic recovery is bearing fruit. Our discussions touched on collaboration on specific sectors such as food processing, energy, housing, medical care, the manufacture of garments and bags, education, training,” the President said.
This positive outcome from the ASEAN meet, buoyed by the optimism of the President who debuted on the world stage, bodes well for the country’s participation in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders’ Meeting, which will be held in Bangkok, Thailand starting today, Nov. 16, 2022. Like in the ASEAN meet, the President intends to raise on the world stage the priorities of the country in terms of trade, investment, and post-pandemic recovery.
Add to that, the President will push during the APEC meet for “an economic agenda which includes empowerment of the MSMEs and their inclusion in global value chains, recognition of the essential role of maritime crews and seafarers in ensuring stable and resilient supply chains, and ensuring food and energy security, as well as climate change mitigation and adaptation.”
As the President departs for Bangkok, we wish him well. If a President does well on the world stage, it would send an uplifting message to the millions of Filipinos around the world and at home that the Philippines is, once again, back in business.