President Bongbong Marcos in one of his speaking engagements. FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will meet with Filipino communities during his state visits in Indonesia and Singapore.
Marcos will personally guarantee Filipinos in the said nations of the government’s efforts for their welfare, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said.
“The President will also meet the Filipino communities in Indonesia and Singapore to personally assure them of the government’s continuing commitment to protect their rights and promote their welfare as overseas Filipinos,” the DFA said in a statement Thursday.
Marcos will visit Indonesia from September 4 to 6 and Singapore from September 6 to 7.
State visit to Indonesia
During Marcos’ state visit in Indonesia — his first since assuming the presidency — he will meet with President Joko Widodo.
Both presidents are anticipated to tackle their “active and multi-faceted cooperation on defense, maritime, border, economic, and people-to-people cooperation.”
They will likewise witness the signing of several key agreements in defense, culture and a comprehensive Plan of Action that will map the nations’ bilateral priorities in the next five years.
Marcos will also meet with business leaders to intensify trade and investment to back the country’s economic agenda.
State visit to Singapore
Meanwhile, the country’s top leader will have separate engagements with Singaporean President Halimah Yakob and Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.
Bilateral ties, regional and global issues will be tackled during the meetings.
Marcos and Lee will also witness the signing of agreements on counter-terrorism and data privacy.
In a bid to encourage investments in the Philippines and generate job opportunities for Filipinos, Marcos will attend an economic briefing and business roundtable meetings in Singapore.
According to the DFA, Marcos’ back-to-back state visits “demonstrate the importance the Philippines places on relations with fellow [Association of Southeast Asian Nations] neighbors.”