What will be Marcos Jr.'s priority in his Indonesia, Singapore first state visits?
President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr.'s first state visits to Indonesia and Singapore are poised to bring more investments into the Philippines.
Based on an advisory released by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on his inaugural visits, there is one area of cooperation that Marcos Jr. will surely tackle in both of his visits: economy.
At the sidelines of his meeting with Indonesian President Joko Widodo from Sep. 4 to 6, Marcos Jr. will meet with the business leaders of Indonesia, the largest economy in Southeast Asia, to promote trade and investment to support his administration's economic agenda.
On Sep. 6, the President will also fly to Singapore for a two-day visit upon the invitation of Singaporean President Halimah Yakob.
There, an economic briefing and business roundtable meetings will be organized, considering that "Singapore is a key trade and investment partner of the Philippines," DFA said.
According to DFA, Marcos Jr.'s back-to-back visits as his inaugural overseas trip "demonstrate the importance the Philippines places on relations" with its fellow Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) members.
Meanwhile, on political matters, the President will discuss with Widodo the Philippine-Indonesian "active and multi-faceted cooperation on defense, maritime, border, economic and people-to-people cooperation."
With Indonesia being the next ASEAN chair, the two leaders will also exchange views on major issues affecting the region and the world, DFA added.
Marcos Jr. and Widodo will also witness the signing of several key agreements in the areas of defense and culture as well as a comprehensive Plan of Action that will chart the bilateral priorities of the Philippines and Indonesia over the next five years.
In Singapore, Marcos Jr. will not only meet with Yakob but also with Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong to discuss the close bilateral relations between the two countries, as well as regional and global issues.
Marcos Jr. and Lee will also witness the signing of agreements in the areas of counter-terrorism and data privacy.
On top of his official visit, the President will make time to meet with the Filipinos communities of the two Asian countries to assure them of the government's commitment to protect their rights and ensure their welfare.