Marcos seeks stronger economic ties with Japan

• Published date: 09 February 2023
• Publication title: Business Mirror

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. said he will forge more partnerships with other Asian nations to boost the Philippines's international competitiveness.

Marcos also said his trip to Japan is part of a 'larger foreign policy agenda' of his administration to strengthen security and economic bilateral relations with its Asian neighbors.

'We will seek to further strengthen the bonds and friendship with the close neighbors, [which are] like-minded and future-oriented like us in many way and the more reliable partners of both in times of crisis and of prosperity,' the President said in his speech before his departure to Tokyo at the Villamor Airbase in Pasay City last Wednesday.

Since assuming the presidency last July, Marcos has already visited Indonesia, Singapore, Cambodia, Thailand, and China which are all in Asia.

Bilateral deals

During his visit to Japan from February 8 to 12, Marcos will be meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio for the signing of bilateral agreements on humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, infrastructure, and digital cooperation.

'Many of these MOUs [memorandum of understanding] and MOAs [memorandum of agreements], and other documents we will be witnessing are in fact the product of our meetings in New York and also in APEC [Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation],' he said.

The President said he will also...