President Marcos and First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos are off to Jakarta, Indonesia to attend the inauguration of President-elect Prabowo Subianto and Vice President-elect Gibran Rakabuming on Sunday, Oct. 20.

In a statement, the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) said that the First Couple's attendance was upon the invitation of Indonesian President Joko Widodo.

"The attendance of President Marcos and the First Lady at the inauguration of the Indonesian President and Vice President reaffirms the deep and enduring friendship between the two nations, founded on close people-to-people ties," it said on Saturday, Oct. 19.

"The President's attendance in the inauguration also signifies the Philippines' sincere commitment to further expand and deepen bilateral relations," it added.

This would be Marcos' fourth visit to Indonesia since assuming office in 2022.

Marcos and Prabowo met in Malacañan last month where both leaders affirmed their commitment to boosting the ties between the neighboring countries.

"[Your visit] shows that the growing relationship between our two countries has been at a very strong level for many many years and many many aspects of the people-to-people, on the political, on the diplomatic," Marcos told Prabowo in September.

Prabowo thanked Marcos for welcoming him despite the short notice of his visit to Malacañan. He said his courtesy call on Marcos is a custom of meeting Indonesia’s "friends" before the start of his five-year term.

President Prabowo assured President Marcos of his commitment to strengthening the close relationship between the Philippines and Indonesia.

"We have common roots, cultural, historical, and by the fact that we are very close neighbors, it behooves us, I think, to always support each other and to work together closely in all fields," Prabowo said.

The Philippines and Indonesia are celebrating 75 years of formal diplomatic relations this year.

As a fellow founding member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Indonesia is one of the Philippines' long-standing partners in the region.

In 2022, in his first outbound visit after taking office as the new Philippines president, Marcos undertook a state visit to Indonesia. This visit was reciprocated by Widodo who undertook his official visit to the Philippines in January 2024.

"This exchange of high-level visits is a testament to the strong bilateral relations between our two democratic and maritime countries," the PCO said.