President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. (left) and United States (US) Vice President Kamala Harris (BBM Media Bureau, Wikipedia)

House Speaker Martin Romualdez couldn't help but feel happy and hopeful after witnessing firsthand the meeting between President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. and United States (US) Vice President Kamala Harris in Washington DC.

“It is heartening to note that during the meeting over coffee between President Marcos and VP Harris, the two officials reiterated their commitment to secure and advance the mutually beneficial initiatives she announced when she visited the Philippines,” Speaker Romualdez said in a statement Wednesday, May 3 (Philippine time).

“It boosts our hope and confidence that [the] effort to bolster the time-tested ties between the US and the Philippines would ultimately benefit the Filipino people in terms of increased foreign investments that would generate more jobs, livelihood as well as business opportunities for our people,” added the Leyte 1st district congressman.

Marcos and his wife, First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, met with Harris and her husband, Second Gentleman Dough Emhoff, at the Number One Observatory Circle, in Washington DC, the official residence of the vice president of the US.

Joining the Philippine First Couple in the meeting were Speaker Romualdez, Ambassador Jose Manuel Romualdez, and presidential son Ilocos Norte 1st district Rep. Sandro Marcos.

During the meeting with Marcos, Harris said she was glad they were “able to continue to do the work that we have that is a priority around our mutual prosperity and security".

Speaker Romualdez, who has been in the US since mid-April, is accompanying Marcos in his five-day visit in the US.

Last November, Harris visited the Philippines to deepen economic and security ties between the two countries.

Harris is the first female vice president and the highest-ranking female official in US history, as well as the first African-American and first Asian-American vice president.