WASHINGTON D.C., United States — President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Monday (early morning Tuesday Manila time) expressed hope that overseas Filipinos residing in the US would come home “for good and retire in a much better Philippines.”
He issued the remark during a meeting with the Filipino community here, saying he hopes to welcome them back to the Philippines “sooner or later.”
“Sooner or later, we will be able to welcome you back home to the Philippines, especially those who have reacquired their Filipino citizenship,” Marcos said in his speech.
“It’s my hope that some of you will come home for good and retire in a much better Philippines — a Philippines with better airports, Philippines with better roads, better airports, better internet, better governance. ‘Yun ang aking pinapangarap (That’s what I am dreaming of). And that’s why that is what my administration is working for,” he added.
The President also urged them to encourage their children and grandchildren to visit the Philippines to see the richness of Philippine culture and history.
“Let them see for themselves what the Philippines is about, what is our culture, what is our history. I’m sure the first and second and third generation Filipino-Americans are more than happy to learn about their proud Philippine ancestry,” Marcos said.
He also thanked overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) for their significant contributions to the growth of the economy through remittances and credited them for “keeping the Philippines afloat” during the pandemic.
“Noong pandemya ay ang bumuhay talaga sa ekonomiya ng Pilipinas ay ang mga OFW. Kung hindi po sa inyo ay siguro mas nahirapan po na makabangon ang Pilipinas, kaya’t ulit maraming, maraming salamat sa inyo,” he said.
(During the pandemic, the lifeblood of the Philippine economy was the OFWs. If it were not for you, we would have suffered more, and it would have been more difficult to recover.)
The Chief Executive also mentioned his recent meeting with US President Joseph Biden, whom he thanked for accommodating Filipinos and providing opportunities for them to thrive.
“Kasama ko po ang ating mga miyembro ng Gabinete upang ipagtibay ang ating pagkakaibigan sa Amerika, United States at saka ng Pilipinas… Malaking bahagi doon sa usapan namin ay nagpasalamat naman ako sa kanila dahil sa dami ng Pilipino na nandito sa Amerika, na nandito sa US ay lahat naman naging maganda ang buhay at… tinanggap kaagad ng ating mga kaibigang taga-US,” the President said.
(I am with Cabinet members to further strengthen the alliance of the US and the Philippines. A big part of our discussion was my thankfulness to the US because they allowed Filipinos to live here and have a good life.)
“Kaya naman nagkaroon kayo ng magandang hanapbuhay. Nagkaroon kayo ng magandang pagkakataon para tulungan ang inyong mga pamilya, para tulungan ang inyong mga community, para tulungan ang inyong bansa sa Pilipinas,” the President added.
(That’s why you had an opportunity to help your families and communities, as well as the Philippines.)
Marcos reassured OFWs of the government’s sustained efforts to make the Philippines better and vowed to boost the quality of jobs so that time will come when Filipinos would no longer have to go abroad out of necessity.
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