Marcos vows to strengthen PH ties with Uganda, Sri Lanka

MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Wednesday vowed to further develop the Philippines’ bilateral ties with Sri Lanka and Uganda.

Marcos made the pronouncement after Sri Lankan Ambassador to the Philippines Harsha Talpahewa and non-resident Ugandan Ambassador Oyella Bigombe paid a visit to Malacañang on Tuesday to present their credentials.

Marcos told Talpahewa that he aims to further strengthen the Philippines’ ties with Sri Lanka, which spans 62 years since the two countries established formal diplomatic relations on January 11, 1961.

“Both our countries are looking to the future to develop the economies of our countries and to make a better life for our people. And I believe that we can find ways to work together for the mutual benefit of both our countries,” said Marcos in a statement.

Talpahewa, for his part, vowed to further consolidate and strengthen ties between the Philippines and Sri Lanka, “taking it to the next level.”

“During my tenure of office, I look forward to working towards further consolidating and strengthening the warm and friendly relations between our two countries and taking it to the next level,” Talpahewa said.

Meanwhile, Marcos expressed hope that Bigombe would be able to find ways to boost ties between Uganda and the Philippines during her visit.

“We are very much on the same path, our two countries, and therefore, I think the experiences and lessons that we have learned along the way will be of benefit to both our countries so long as we keep our partnership strong and our alliances very profound and alive,” said Marcos.

In presenting her credentials, Bigombe said she was honored to serve as Ambassador-Designate of Uganda to the Philippines, as she noted the two countries’ warm, cordial, and traditional relations.

“The Republic of the Philippines and Uganda are on the same path of delivering economic development to their people given their recent high growth witnessed in the past,” she said, hoping the relationship between the two countries could grow from strength to strength.

The Philippine embassy in Nairobi, Kenya has administrative jurisdiction over Uganda, with Marie Tang serving as the Philippines’ non-resident ambassador.

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