MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines was part of the “VIP Club” at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, which represents Southeast Asian Countries with the best performing economies, said President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Sunday.
“Mabuti naman at nakapunta tayo rito, dahil sa pagpunta natin, nasama tayo sa tinatawag nilang VIP Club… ‘Yung VIP Club ay Vietnam, Indonesia, and Philippines,” said Marcos in a statement.
(It’s good that we came here because when we went, we joined what they call the VIP Club… The VIP Club is Vietnam, Indonesia, and the Philippines.)
“‘Yun daw ang pinakamagandang ekonomiya sa Asya (They said these countries have the best economy in Asia),” he added.
According to Marcos, the WEF served as an excellent platform to highlight the Philippine economy’s strong performance, adding that with the forum, he was able to meet global leaders, as well as several foreign investors expressing intent to explore business opportunities in the Philippines.
Marcos also met with WEF Founder and Chairman Emeritus Klaus Schwab, whom he called “a dear friend of the Philippines.”
The two discussed partnerships and collaboration to help the Philippines sustain equitable and inclusive growth and provide a better quality of life for Filipinos.
Apart from Schwab, Marcos also met and chatted with several leaders of countries and organizations, such as World Trade Organization (WTO) Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, World Bank Managing Director for Operations Axel Van Trotsenburg, International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva, and former United Kingdom Prime Minister Tony Blair.
“The process that we undertook really in Davos was not simply to highlight the new situation, the new economic situation, the new policies, and the new concepts that we are promoting in the Philippines today, but also to learn from the world leaders and the world economic leaders what part the Philippines can play in this fragmented world,” Marcos said.
“That was the main theme in this entire forum. [It] is how we bring back cooperation in a fragmented world. And we are seen to play a part in that and especially as a member state of ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) and as a leading economy in Asia,” he added.
According to the Presidential Communications Office, Marcos highlighted the administration’s policies, including the Philippine Development Plan, the 8-Point Socioeconomic Agenda, and “various other policies and legislations that spotlight the economic reforms of the Philippines that have led to its sustained growth,” during the WEF.
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