For the second time, President Marcos will not attend the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York this month and will instead be represented by Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Secretary Enrique Manalo, the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) announced.

In a statement, Communications Secretary Cesar Chavez did not state why Marcos decided to skip the UNGA for the second time but said Manalo is capable of expressing the country's statements on global issues in the annual meeting.

"The President will not be attending the UN General Assembly," he said Thursday morning, Sept. 12, two days after the UNGA session opened on Sept. 10.

"He will be ably represented by Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo who will articulate the country’s responses to global challenges which we assert should be resolved within the framework of peace and cooperation enshrined in the UN Charter," he added.

The Philippines is one of the original 51 charter members that created the United Nations in 1945.

President Marcos attended the UNGA in 2022, his first time returning to New York in 25 years.

In his speech before world leaders at the UNGA, the President conveyed the message of what was in store for the Philippines and how it could contribute to resolving the world's challenges.

He reiterated the country's policy that the Philippines is a friend to all and an enemy to none.

Marcos likewise made public the Philippines' intention to be a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for the 2027-2028 term and asked his fellow world leaders to support this endeavor.

In his speech, the Chief Executive expressed confidence that the Philippines will be "moderately prosperous" by 2040. He urged industrialized countries to do their part in resolving climate change issues and how the small countries are the ones suffering from its effects.

On the other hand, President Marcos lamented how inequality and inequity among countries still exist, evident during the distribution of Covid-19 vaccines. He cited the need to reinvigorate the world economy as all nations awaken from the economic stupor caused by the pandemic but stressed that no country should be left behind in this endeavor.

Ultimately, Marcos brought his call for unity to the world stage and called for an end to racism and Asian hate that skyrocketed during the height of the pandemic.