President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. will deliver on Friday a keynote address in Japan to highlight his administration's economic agenda and seek for investments in the country during a business forum that is part of his itinerary there.
The two-part forum, called the Philippine Economic Briefing (PEB), will give way for the country's economic managers to discuss with Japanese business leaders the opportunities in the Philippines, according to Malacañang.
The first part will consist of the country's economic performance and outlook to be presented by Department of Finance (DOF) Secretary Benjamin Diokno.
It will be followed by a panel discussion with the administration's economic team, which includes Diokno, National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Secretary Arsenio Balisacan, Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Secretary Amenah Pangandaman, and Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Governor Felipe Medalla.
Pangandaman will talk about the important features of the Fiscal Year 2023 General Appropriations Act (GAA), the updates on Expenditure Accounts, the Budget Reforms Initiatives, and the Marcos administration's Priority Legislative Agenda.
The second part of the forum will focus on infrastructure and industry sectors. Its panelists will be the chiefs of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), Department of Tourism (DOT), and Department of Transportation (DOTr).
The crucial part will be the last one: a roundtable meeting with Japanese businessmen, whom the President will woo to ensure a more fruitful visit. Billions of pesos-worth of pledges are at stake, which will eventually turn into actual investments.
Marcos and his delegation will also sign several letters of intent/agreements, attend luncheon and networking event, and meet with business forum organizers.