(FILE) Pres. Ferdinand Marcos during a meeting with former British Prime Minister Tony Blair in New York. Image from Bongbong Marcos’ Instagram account
MANILA, Philippines — Former United Kingdom prime minister Tony Blair said it is the best time for President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. to be at the World Economic Forum (WEF) to show the world the current Philippine situation while “building stature,” Malacañang said on Wednesday.
According to the Presidential Communications Office (PCO), Blair said: “The Philippines wasn’t quite in good standing last year.”
“So to have somebody to come and clearly articulate where the country is going, what it’s doing. I think it sends a good signal,” Blair said, as quoted by the PCO in a statement.
READ: Marcos Jr. meets with ex-UK Prime Minister Tony Blair in Davos
“There should be some stability, some kind of consistency whichever way you’re going. So in terms of policy from the political end, I think it’s important,” he added.
The PCO said Blair and the President also discussed the country’s development plan, which aims to alleviate the people’s suffering due to the pandemic as the country prepares to open the global economy.
The development plan of the Philippines focuses on digitalization, logistics, infrastructure development, energy, tourism, and food security.
Marcos and Blair met on the sidelines of the 2023 WEF in Davos, Switzerland.
They both first met in September last year during Marcos’ six-day working visit to the United States at the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, where they discussed initiatives to achieve lasting peace and sustainable development.
Blair then paid a courtesy call on Marcos in Malacañang in October last year, where they discussed a wide range of topics on bureaucracy and governance based on the best practices in developed countries.
Blair serves as the current executive chairman of the Tony Blair Institute For Global Change, a non-profit organization that seeks to support political leaders and governments to build open, inclusive, and prosperous societies in a globalized world.