President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. has conveyed appreciation for Singapore's state sovereign fund non-profit philanthropic arm for its several projects in the Philippines.

(Screenshot from RTVM)

During a courtesy call in Malacañang on Thursday, April 13, Marcos thanked Temasek Foundation for its prospective projects in the country directed towards climate change, agricultural sustainability and fisheries.

"We’re looking at some of the prospective projects that are directed towards climate change, towards agriculture, and sustainability," the President told the Temasek executives.

"So anyway, I’m happy that you’re able to come to the  Philippines and I’m happy to be able to see that there are potential areas where we can participate [in]," he added.

Temasek Foundation is a non-profit philanthropic arm of Singapore’s state sovereign fund, Temasek Holdings, which supports impact-driven programs and strategies to uplift the lives and meet the needs of communities in Singapore and beyond.

During the meeting, Temasek Foundation International Chair Jennie Chua Kheng Yeng shared that she recently had "very good discussions" with Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Secretary Renato Solidum Jr. and Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) Secretary Susan ‘Toots’ Ople.

The Temasek chair said they were able to discuss other areas of partnership where they can further provide support, including the coconut and bamboo industries, opening of scholarship programs and permanent residencies for Filipino nurses.

In the last three days, the official said they had discussed with the three high-ranking government officials “how to make ourselves useful in the Philippines and also to learn from the Philippines."

Marcos previously met the Temasek Foundation officials in September 2022, where he expressed his heartfelt gratitude for their generous assistance to the Philippines’ Covid-19 response efforts.

The Foundation was a recipient of the Kaanib ng Bayan Presidential Award, an award conferred to foreign individuals (natural-born) and organizations for their exceptional or significant contribution to the progress and development of the Philippines, or in advancing the cause or promoting the interests of overseas Filipino communities.

Malacañang said that at the end of their meeting, Temasek Foundation presented a c.1963 painting of the Singapore Waterfront by Georgette Chen to the President and First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos.

Other attendees include Ambassador Gerard Ho Wei Hong of the Embassy of the Republic of Singapore to the Philippines; Board Members Tony Tan Caktiong,  Goh Yong Siang,  Arif Rachmat (Temasek Foundation International Executive Board); and Senior Directors Gerald Yeo Teng Han and James Chan Yong Kiat (Temasek Foundation).

Joining the President were Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Secretary Cheloy Velicaria-Garafil and Presidential Management Staff (PMS) Senior Undersecretary Elaine Masukat.

The foundation forged agreements with the Philippines to enhance competencies across industries, through the Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) (Digitalization and Industry 4.0) Program, Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) with Design Thinking Programme, and Health Care Management Program.

The Philippines and Singapore were looking to renew a 2019 memorandum of understanding between the Philippines’ Department of Education and Nanyang Polytechnic International Temasek Foundation.