President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. confirmed that he would be flying to California in November to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders' Meeting in November this year.

Marcos made the announcement during the United States-Association of Southeast Asian Nations (US-ASEAN) Business Council meeting in Malacañang on Wednesday, Aug. 9.

In his remarks, the President said he was looking forward to the meeting, which will take place in San Francisco from Nov. 12 to 18, 2023. The US chairs this year's APEC Leaders' Meeting.

"The Philippines is actively participating in the Indo-Pacific economic framework and the APEC meetings leading up to the Leaders' Summit in San Francisco in November," he said,

"I look forward to joining fellow APEC leaders in California later this year. This will be my third trip in the US since I assumed office," he added.

According to Marcos, he would advance the country’s energy security interests during the meeting.

“With energy security high in the agenda, we are particularly interested in sustainable land, water, and ocean solutions that align with our climate goals and support our plans to transform the Philippines into an upper-middle-income country by 2025,” he said.

Marcos first went to the US in September last year to speak at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York. His second trip to the US was for a State Visit, where he met US President Joseph Biden in Washington, D.C.

Based on the APEC 2023 website, the theme for this year's meeting is "Creating a Resilient and Sustainable Future for All."

Under this theme, the US said it remains committed to furthering APEC's work in trade and investment facilitation, the digital economy, health, gender equity and equality, clean energy and climate, anti-corruption, and food security.

"APEC is the premier platform for the United States to advance economic policies in the Asia-Pacific region to promote free, fair, and open trade and investment and advance inclusive and sustainable growth," the US APEC 2023 website read.

"As part of our enduring commitment to the region and broad-based economic growth, San Francisco is excited to serve as the host of the APEC Leaders' Meeting," it added.

According to the website, the APEC region is "crucial" to the US prosperity, with all 21 APEC Member Economies accounting for nearly 40 percent of the global population and almost 50 percent of global trade.

The APEC Member Economies also comprise approximately 60 percent of the global gross domestic product (GDP).

The APEC Leaders' Meeting is expected to tackle global challenges, focusing on three overarching policy priorities:

• Building a resilient, interconnected region that advances broad economic prosperity
• Enabling an innovative environment for a sustainable future
• Affirming an equitable and inclusive future for all
   

"With our host year, our goal is to make APEC relevant to individual Americans, whether they are members of the private sector, civil society, think tanks, academia, advocacy groups, or local governments," the website read.

"We want to hear from a broad range of stakeholders to ensure our agenda reflects what is important to the American people," it added.