SINGAPORE --- President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. told Filipinos here that his administration is doing its best so that overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) would no longer have to endure separation from their families and kin while working abroad and could instead return to work gainfully their home country.

Marcos said this during his meeting with the members of the Filipino community in Singapore on Tuesday evening, September 6.

The President said his government is doing everything to boost the economy, allowing more Filipinos to work in their country instead of going overseas.

"Ginagawa ang lahat upang tulungan magpaganda ng buhay ng ating mga kababayan, pagandahin ang ekonomiya para paramihin ang trabaho (The Cabinet is doing everything to help improve the quality of life of Filipinos and improve the economy to generate more jobs)," he said.

"Kung talagang kami ay maging matagumpay, para pauwiin na kayo at maaari na kayong magtabaho sa Pilipinas (We want to succeed in this so we can send you home and you can work in the Philippines)," he added.

Singapore is home to 200,000 Filipino workers, most of whom are professional, skilled, and semi-skilled expatriates.

President Marcos is in Singapore as part of his two-country inaugural overseas trip. The first leg was in Indonesia from September 4 to 6.

During his State Visit to Singapore, the Philippines inked six agreements with their Singaporean counterparts. These are agreements on counterterrorism, data privacy, and migrant workers, among others.

In his meeting with the Filipino community, Marcos and Department of Migrant Workers Secretary Susan Ople announced that Singapore wanted to hire 3,000 more Filipino health workers after witnessing their abilities during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic in Singapore.

Meanwhile, Marcos said his State Visit aims to boost the Philippine economy amid its post-pandemic recovery, which would be easier with the help of how foreigners view Filipinos.

"We proactively attract investments in our country in order to accelerate post-pandemic growth and create more jobs in the Philippines," he said.

"Marami tayong kailangang gawin, marami tayong hinaharap na problema ngunit dahil sa ugali ng Pilipino na napapamahal ang ating mga kasamahan, kahit mga dayuhan na hindi taga Pilipinas ay tayo ay gustong tulungan (There's much to do and we're facing many problems but because of how we get along with our peers, even foreigners outside the Philippines want to help us)," he added.