26-7-2023 (MANILA) Philippine President Marcos departed for Malaysia on a three-day state visit aimed at strengthening the Philippines’ ties with its Southeast Asian neighbour. Before leaving, Marcos said that the state visit was the perfect opportunity to harness the potential of a revitalised relationship between the two countries. The Philippine President noted that the two countries have enjoyed close economic ties supported by strong bilateral relations that have lasted for decades. This state visit aims to identify new areas of synergy that can propel their partnership and serve as a roadmap for their respective agencies to work on for the mutual benefit of both countries.
“This state visit to Malaysia aims to identify new areas of synergies that can propel our partnership and serve as a roadmap for our respective agencies to work on for the mutual benefit of both our countries and the peoples of the new century,” said the President.
The state visit to Malaysia marks Marcos’ 13th official foreign trip since he assumed office last year. During the visit, the President will have an audience with Malaysian King Al-Sultan Abdullah, who invited him to visit the country. The meeting will discuss how Manila and Kuala Lumpur could further deepen their partnerships through new areas of mutual interest. Marcos will also meet with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to pursue areas of cooperation in priority areas that are aligned with the two countries’ respective economic agenda.
“In order to assist our nation’s trajectory of economic growth and to meet our economic target of 6.4 percent year-on-year gross domestic product growth this year, my visit will focus on the renewed partnerships in the fields of agriculture and food security, digital economy, tourism and people-to-people exchanges, as well as explore new avenues for cooperation, particularly in areas of the halal industry and Islamic banking,” said Marcos.
The halal industry is seen to grow to a trillion-dollar industry in the international market due to expanding global demand. The state visit aims to forge synergies with Malaysia – one of the global leaders in the halal sector – for the Philippines to enjoy a share of this market.
Marcos will also meet with Filipino business leaders to discuss trade and investment opportunities in the Philippines. He expressed hope that through the investment forum, roundtable discussions and business meetings organized by the trade department, “new bridges” between the two economies would be created, and bilateral trade volumes and investments would increase.
During the visit, Marcos will also meet with the Filipino community in Malaysia to talk about programs designed to ensure their safety and promote their well-being. The Vice President of the Philippines, Sara Duterte, will serve as the country’s caretaker while Marcos is in Malaysia.
The departure comes a day after the President’s second State of the Nation Address, where he supposedly snubbed Vice President Sara Duterte. While on his way to the podium, Marcos shook hands with former president and now House Deputy Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo; Audrey Tan-Zubiri, the wife of Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri, and former president Joseph Estrada, who were seated in the same area as Duterte. However, Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin denied that Marcos had snubbed Duterte, who was the President’s running mate during the 2022 elections.
“The Speaker and the Vice President canoodling is always a very good sign,” Marcos said at the start of his departure speech. The supposed rift between Duterte and Romualdez made headlines after Arroyo was demoted from senior deputy speaker to deputy speaker. House Majority Leader Manuel Jose Dalipe had said that Arroyo was replaced by Pampanga 3rd district Rep. Aurelio Gonzales Jr. to “unburden” her of “the heavy load required from the position.”
