BERLIN, Germany — For the first time, President Marcos assured overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) that the government will not cede an inch of the West Philippine Sea to foreign actors, saying the disputed area clearly belongs to the Philippines.

Marcos said this as he addressed the members of the Filipino community here in Berlin on Tuesday night, March 12 (Melbourne time).

"Nagkakaproblema po tayo sa ibang bansa na sinasabi, 'yung teritoryo ay kanila pala (We are having problems with other countries claiming our territory)," he said.

"Ngunit asahan ninyo ay hindi po tayo papayag dahil maliwanag na maliwanag naman na ito ay bahagi ng Pilipinas (But rest assured that we will not let it happen because it's very clear that it is part of the Philippines)," he added.

President Marcos lauded how the relationship between the Philippines and Germany goes beyond economic relations and that Germany is one of the Philippines' biggest supporters on the issue of the West Philippine Sea.

"On our political and economic relations, Germany has also been a strong supporter of the Philippines in our quest to keep the waters in the South China Sea open, secure, and peaceful," he said.

"We both adhere to the rules-based order and seek the cooperation of all nations to abide by the principles of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)," he added.

Earlier that day, President Marcos met with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz to discuss areas of common interests, including defense cooperation and the West Philippine Sea.

During the joint press conference, Scholz reiterated Germany's full support for the Philippines in the issue of the South China Sea.

"We support the Philippines in ensuring that rights are being protected," he said.

"Respect for international law is of greatest importance to us and this is equally true for the international law that governs international navigation. We have the UNCLOS (United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea), we have the arbitral tribunal. I believe it to be very important to adhere to the legislation in place," he added.