Marcos’ European tour: Investments, diplomatic wins for PH

President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. during the Philippine-German Business Forum, March 13, 2024. | PHOTO: Official facebook page of Bongbong Marcos

MANILA, Philippines–Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez commended President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. as he arrived in the country for securing immense benefits for the country from his back-to-back visits to Germany and the Czech Republic.

Romualdez said the solid support expressed by leaders of the two countries for the protection of the country’s sovereignty and rights in the West Philippine Sea, billions of dollars in investment deals clinched and agreements signed that would create thousands of jobs for Filipinos underscore the vital significance of the personal diplomatic initiatives of Marcos.

“The immensely beneficial outcomes of President Marcos’ trip to Germany and the Czech Republic starkly demonstrate the crucial role of personal interaction between leaders of nations in enhancing bilateral relations and advancing national interest,” said Romualdez, leader of the 300-plus strong House of Representatives.

“Face-to-face interactions allow leaders to develop personal relationships and build trust with each other. Trust is a fundamental component of international relations, and personal interactions can help leaders understand each other’s perspectives, intentions, and concerns better,” he added.

He noted that both German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Czech Republic President Petr Pavel stressed their country’s support for our stance on the observance of rules-based order, particularly under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), in the West Philippine Sea.

“Aside from the official statements issued, these personal meetings between leaders serve as powerful symbols of cooperation and goodwill, sending a strong and unmistakable signal to domestic audiences and the international community alike their solid commitment to advance the common interests of their countries,” Romualdez said.

“In statecraft, as well as in business, successful personal interactions between leaders can create momentum for further engagement and cooperation between their respective countries, leading to sustained progress in bilateral relations,” he added.

In the meeting with Scholz, Marcos also discussed with the German leader matters on enhancing cooperation in peace and development, maritime, climate change, labor, trade and investment–especially in green energy initiatives—and the protection of the rights and welfare of Filipinos in the European country.

For his three-day working visit to Germany trip alone, Marcos bagged at least USD 4 billion or P220 billion worth of investment deals from eight different types of agreements.

While in the Czech Republic, Marcos met with the heads of the government, namely President Pavel and Prime Minister Petr Fiala, and the heads of the Czech Parliament, Senate President Miloš Vystrčil and Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies Markéta Pekarová Adamová.

Apart from the WPS issue, discussions of Marcos with the Czech leaders focused on further enhancing bilateral cooperation in the areas of trade and investment, defense, agriculture, renewable energy, transport, and people-to-people exchanges.

Underscoring the economic performance of the Philippines, Romualdez said Marcos made a compelling pitch to Czech businesses to invest in the areas of IT-BPM, electronics, manufacturing, food and agriculture, and automotive/EV manufacturing, among others.