MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s participation in the upcoming leaders’ meeting in Thailand will present more opportunities for the country’s economic growth, said House Speaker Martin Romualdez.
“The Apec Summit is a step up because there are more developed countries involved,” Romualdez said in a statement Tuesday.
The Speaker is part of the official delegation of Marcos at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) talks.
Romualdez had also joined Marcos during the recent Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) summits in Cambodia.
Apec is an inter-governmental forum for 21-member economies in the Pacific Rim that promotes free trade throughout the Asia-Pacific region — Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Philippines, Russia, Singapore, Chinese Taipei, Thailand, the United States, and Vietnam.
According to Romualdez, it is essential to have personal engagements and develop close relations with leaders of other countries or economies, citing his experience in the recent Asean summits, which he said presented opportunities for meeting with his counterparts in the legislative bodies of the member countries.
One of the said opportunities was the bilateral meeting between the Philippines and Vietnam, said Romualdez, when the visit to the Philippines of the leader of Vietnam’s National Assembly, reportedly among the top contenders to be the next Prime Minister of his country, was announced.
“So these types of engagements mean a lot. Because when you have a personal engagement with these leaders it is easier to communicate, coordinate, and support each other on various sectors—whether it’s economic, trade, or inter-parliamentary relations—that promotes better harmony,” Romualdez said.
He also cited factors President Marcos can utilize to promote our country as an attractive investment or trade partner, such as the 7.6 percent economic growth the Philippines posted for the third quarter, the reduction in the unemployment rate, the young population, and the dollar remittances of our Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW”),
“So I think now is the time to herald that the Philippines is doing well, its economy is doing well, and now is the time to invest in the Philippines so that we get more foreign direct investments for the capital that we need to generate more jobs for and livelihood for the Filipinos and to bring about a stronger and more vibrant economy so that all Filipinos have a safe and comfortable life,” he added.
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