A Filipino economist has expressed belief that President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr.'s attendance to the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland may help the Philippines advance its economic interest as well as​ strengthen its international ties.

During the state-run Laging Handa briefing, Michael Batu said the WEF is the right venue for the country to forge close ties with others and for the Philippine leaders and business leaders to exchange views with global decision makers and world business leaders.

Dr. Batu is a Filipino-Canadian economist, specializing in applied econometrics, applied macroeconomics, development economics and the scholarship of teaching and learning economics.

Currently, he is a tenure-track Assistant Professor of Economics at the University of the Fraser Valley in Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada.

"Nasa iisang location po ang global decision makers—ibig sabihin kapag nandoon po kayo ay mayroon kayong access and you can talk to them. Pwede 'yan sa mga tinatawag natin na mga workshop, mayroon din silang mga country strategy dialogue (All global decision makers have converged in one location. It means if you are there, you have access to them and can talk to them. You can do that during workshops and country strategy dialogues)," Batu said.

He also said that the country's delegation can use WEF's networking opportunities to discuss various issues with political leaders, as well as business leaders that may result in more foreign investments in the Philippines.

Aside from networking, the WEF also has learning opportunities through workshops and discussions where the members of the Philippine delegation could learn from the experiences of other countries, the economist added.

"Halimbawa, kakausapin ni President BBM iyong mga world leaders at tatanungin kung paano nila sinimulan iyong kanilang mga Sovereign Wealth Funds, at sa pamamagitan ng mga pag-uusap na ito ay matututo ang ating Pangulo, makakakuha siya ng bagong mga impormasyon kung paano sisimulan iyong mga Sovereign Wealth Fund na iyan (For example, the President can talk to world leaders and ask how to launch the Sovereign Wealth Funds. From there, the President will be able to learn and get more information about the fund)," he explained.

The Philippines can also showcase itself that it is open for business, with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. promoting a well-managed Philippine economy backed by indicators such as the country’s strong economic fundamentals and its recent credit ratings, Batu noted.