The Philippines was able to secure 18 business agreements in various sectors during the State Visit of President Marcos in India.
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. addresses business leaders during the CEO Roundtable in New Delhi as part of his State Visit in India. (Photo courtesy of PCO)
Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Secretary Cristina Roque presented the business agreements during the Philippines-India Business Forum held at the Taj West End in Bengaluru, India on Thursday, Aug. 7.
The agreements, according to Roque, cover a wide range of strategic sectors including renewable energy, infrastructure, healthcare, education, information technology and business process management, digital services and manufacturing.
Roque said the agreements "serve as tangible outcomes of our collaborative efforts and will serve as the foundation for ongoing and future business engagements between the Philippines and India."
In his speech during the forum, President Marcos told Indian business leaders that the Philippines is seriously committed to developing its ties with India at "every single level," adding that the number of Cabinet secretaries accompanying him is a manifestation of its willingness to partner with India.
"It goes to show that the entire government is ready and willing and keen to continue this development in our relationship," he said.
"And the number of Cabinet secretaries also indicates the number, the many, the multitude of areas in which we feel in the Philippines that we can tie up," he added.
He also assured the Indian business community that the Philippines stands ready to welcome their investments.
"To our esteemed Indian partners, I want to assure you that the Philippine government stands ready to embrace your investments with open arms and with continued and unwavering support," he said.
"We are continuously finding ways to make the Philippines an even more conducive place to do business," the President also said.
The forum brings together various Filipino and Indian business leaders to explore investment opportunities between the two countries. It also gathered leading industry players from sectors such as information technology and business process management (IT-BPM), digital services, telecommunications, infrastructure, manufacturing and healthcare, among others.