European businessmen were impressed with President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. for “soldiering on” the summit between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and European Union (EU) despite catching colds in sub-zero Brussels, Belgium.

President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr. (Photo courtesy of Malacañang)

Florian Gottein, executive director of the European Chamber of Commerce in the Philippines (ECCP), said European businessmen commended Marcos, who described the summit as a "much-needed dialogue" between the two regions and acknowledged the importance of the EU as a trade and investment partner to ASEAN.

"European business leaders reacted very positively on President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s speech during a C-Suite Luncheon with European Business Leaders before the 10th ASEAN-EU business summit in which he called for more European investments in the Philippines as well as he asked for more support from Europe on climate action issues,” Gottein said in a statement.

ECCP is a bilateral foreign chamber that promotes European interests in the Philippines as well as Philippine interests in Europe.

Trade Undersecretary Ceferino Rodolfo, meanwhile, said top European leaders were impressed that the President "valiantly and heroically soldiered on."

"indi po nanggagaling sa atin ‘to, pero galing mismo doon sa mga (This did not come from us but from the) European businessmen. They were very impressed because the president valiantly and heroically soldiered on,” Rodolfo said.

“Lahat po ng mga meeting niya with the businessmen, pinuntahan niya ho kahit ho wala na siyang boses, talagang pinilit niya ho mabigay yung mensahe niya (He went to all the meetings despite losing his voice). Sabi niya (He said), the messages have to come from me as the President of the Philippines, inviting the investors,” Rodolfo added.

In his speech, Marcos said the EU-ASEAN Business Council continues to "play a crucial role" in advancing ASEAN’s regional economic integration and post-pandemic economic recovery efforts.

"We do this through its initiatives and valuable insights, which have been useful towards the prioritization of initiatives targeting the ASEAN’s regional economic integration. Through the ASEAN-EU Trade and Investment Work Programme, we hope to continue this momentum for 2023 and beyond,” he said.

The chief executive also expressed his appreciation to the EU-ASEAN Business Council for its continued support and engagement to ASEAN, from the sectoral bodies up to the Leaders' level.

"With the participation of ASEAN members in mega trade deals such as the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), we are well-positioned to accelerate intra-regional trade and growth,” said Marcos.

READ MORE: Despite hoarse voice, Marcos amplifies 3 priority agendas between EU, ASEAN

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