The Philippines has launched an initiative that will boost its relations with Pacific countries in what President Marcos said is the beginning of Manila's enduring partnership with the island nations.
During the inaugural Conference on Philippine-Pacific Partnership for a Sustainable Health Workforce and Health Security held on November 27 to 29 2024, Marcos announced the Philippine Pacific Initiative, which he said will "leverage Filipino experience and expertise in support of Pacific nation-building."
That would be done through focused cooperation across four areas of resilience, namely public health, food security, labor mobility, and disaster preparedness.
The conference, which was organized by the Philippine government in collaboration with the World Health Organization Regional Office for the Western Pacific, brought together health ministers from the Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Niue, Palau, Samoa, Solomon Islands, and Tuvalu, as well as representatives from Fiji, Nauru, Papua New Guinea, and Tonga.
It underscored the need for strengthened cooperation to confront shared challenges, including gaps in health system financing, governance, and the capacity of healthcare workforces.
"These are challenges no single nation can address alone. Global problems demand global solutions. Every sovereign state, especially our vulnerable maritime nations, has a critical role to play," Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo said.
Marcos said the conference was only the beginning of what he envisions to be an "enduring partnership with all Pacific island countries."
He said the initiative tends to complement the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent adopted by Pacific leaders, and builds on a long tradition of Philippine affinity for Pacific island states.
"The unique experiences of Pacific island communities inspire us to support the cause of small island developing states," he said as he cited the Philippine diplomatic advocacies "on issues as varied as climate action, sustainable development, disarmament and non-proliferation, and equitable global health cooperation."
"The Philippines has always stood in support of the centrality of the Pacific Islands Forum in driving the agenda of Pacific affairs. At the same time, the Philippines has spoken about putting Pacific interests at the heart of the Indo-Pacific," he said.