BANGKOK, Thailand—President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos has raised before world leaders three "serious global problems" critical to rapid economic recovery.

These issues are food security, global health systems, and climate change, Marcos said during his participation at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) CEO Summit in Bangkok, Thailand on Thursday, Nov. 17.

"First, food security is a serious global problem. This is felt by every household, by every family, by everyone. The issues that the world faces now – from climate change, to inflation, to war – are viewed by the ordinary Filipino through the lens of food security," Marcos said as he joined two other leaders namely Robert E. Moritz, Global Chairman of PricewaterhouseCoopers, and Klaus Schwab, Founder and Chairman of World Economic Forum, in the forum.

Marcos said these issues are "closely interconnected," stressing that steep declines in agricultural output and productivity from widespread damage to farms and to crops have been increasing and they are linked to climate change.

He explained that rise in commodity prices, coupled with supply chain disruptions and inflationary pressures, "have obviously contributed to the rising prices of food."

He added that "the current conflict between two of the world’s largest agricultural producers has led to a scarcity of grains and fertilizers felt painfully across the globe."

"Food security must be a top priority for all governments and developing economies especially must have the policy flexibility needed to ensure an increased domestic food production and diversification and to improve the local agricultural supply and value chain," Marcos said.

The President amplified the need to reinforce global health systems not only against the Covid-19 but other emerging infectious diseases.

He stressed that the government cannot afford another crippling series of lockdowns and travel bans that deflate consumer confidence, dampen the recovery of tourism, and derail the stability of global markets.

"Governments must continue to invest in pandemic preparedness and in ensuring the resilience of the global health system. Adopting the One-Health approach and strengthening health surveillance systems for emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases, from the human-animal-environment interface, can be part of the solution," he said.

The chief executive then zeroed in on climate change, which, he said, is "the most pressing existential challenge of our time."

He brought up the Philippines' initiative to combat climate change by achieving a higher share of renewable energy in the power generation mix of 35 percent by 2030 and 50 percent by 2040.

The President said the Philippines is one of the countries at great risk from the climate crisis, as it stands to lose more than six percent of gross domestic product (GDP) annually by 2100, based on a study by the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

Although global agreements seeking multilateral solutions to the climate crisis, particularly the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Paris Agreement, are in force, "not enough" progress has been made as emissions continue to rise, Marcos noted.

"The Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC (COP 27) is in full swing, but stronger climate action is required. As the energy demands of the modern global economy continue to expand rapidly, diversification into renewables and other sources is imperative," he said.

He also pledged that the Philippine government will work closely with the private sector to improve the resilience of people and businesses by leveraging the tools of sustainability, such as innovative supply chain systems circular economy models for recycling and upcycling, including the Bio-Circular Green (BCG) Economy Model of APEC host Thailand.

Marcos ended his remarks by calling on the APEC member economies to continue to build on APEC’s long-running partnership with the private sector.

"These partnerships with the private sector are a centerpiece of the transformation of the Philippine economy. APEC’s value and relevance are its ability to work with business. There is no other organization or forum that actively seeks the concerns of business the way APEC does at the --- and this tight engagement is what makes APEC unique, functional, and important. And therefore it is an engagement that must not only be preserved but it must be strengthened," Marcos said.