President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. on Tuesday said his visit to Malaysia, where he will pursue more economic partnerships, will pave the way for his administration's dream to encourage overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) to return home due to the opportunities that will await them in the future.
During his pre-departure speech before leaving for Kuala Lumpur for a state visit, Marcos expressed confidence that the investments his foreign trips will yield will prompt more Filipinos to think of going back to the Philippines.
"It is also my belief that through the investments we bring in from my various foreign visits, soon our kababayans (fellow countrymen) will no longer be forced to work abroad," the President said.
He also said the investments from the trips will give the Filipinos a "choice to come home and find suitable work in the Philippines so that they may be reunited with their families."
Marcos departed Manila for Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday upon the invitation of Malaysian King, Sultan Abdullah. His first schedule there is to meet with the Filipino community, "many of whom left their families to find work and live in Malaysia," he said.
"I will be meeting our hardworking kababayans in Malaysia to personally show the nation's care and protection and reassure them that the government is continuously working to ensure their safety and well-being," the President said.
Marcos said he is optimistic that his state visit will nurture the foundations of a stronger Philippines-Malaysia ties ahead of the celebration of the sixth year of the two countries' establishment of diplomatic relations.