Pres. Marcos Jr., to meet with various CEOs, economic partners after UN General Assembly speech
(Eagle News) – Philippine president Ferdinand Marcos Jr., said that he expects that the country would “finally begin to emerge” from the difficulties of the pandemic that have hounded the country since 2020.
The 65-year old Philippine leader said that he is going to work hard on the country’s economy, which in his view is very much based on agriculture.
Marcos Jr., said he also wants to be remembered as a “transformative” president, and will also work on the further digitalization of various processes in government.
-Digitalization efforts-
“Hopefully, if our digitalization actually becomes as successful as we hope it will be, people can do this. We will have a better coverage for internet and people can do most of these functions or most of these chores really as what they are at home,” he said in a recent interview by TV host, actress and social media influencer Toni Gonzaga.
“We’ll modernize the functions of government. We’ll make it easier for people to work with government, both ordinary citizens and also the big shots, the investors that want to put a business here in the Philippines,” he said.
Marcos he is working on the “normalization of the business of government.”
“The way that the government will run will be fully explained and hopefully understood by people. So that again, they can, they know the part that they can play. If they’re private investors, they know what is interesting to them, they know how to get it done,” he explained.
He said he would also be working hard to lift the country’s economy, and said that these times realy present a “very grand opportunity” for post pandemic recovery.
“We can expect that the Philippines will finally begin to emerge from the difficulties that we have been going through in the past two and a half years, we continue to go through up to now,” Marcos said.
“But I think there really is a very grand opportunity…. I really am going to work very hard on the economy and that is based very much on agriculture. So ‘yan ang tinatrabaho ko ngayon,” the Philippine president said.
-Transformative solutions –
On Sunday, September 18, President Marcos Jr., will be flying to New York for his first speech before the United Nations General Assembly. He would be among the first speakers on Sept. 20 on the opening of the 77th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA).
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said that the theme of this year’s UNGA, “A Watershed Moment: Transformative Solutions to Interlocking Challenges” is close to the President’s heart.
President Marcos Jr said he wants people to remember his presidency as a “transformative” one.
“That we have transformed the government into something that is well attuned and ready and well-positioned for all that is going to come,” he explained.
Marcos Jr is expected to talk on how the Philippines emerges from the pandemic, and would link up with partners so the country pushes forward amid economic challenges at the UN General Assembly.
“The President has made it very clear from the initial discussions preparatory to this trip to New York that it will be more than his debut on the world stage,” said DFA Assistant Secretary Jose Victor Chan-Gonzaga.
He said President Marcos had given “unequivocal instructions that his meetings, whether with fellow world leaders or with US corporations, should focus on finding the necessary partnerships or synergies that will benefit the Philippine economy and the Filipino people.”
-Focus on the economy-
“As we all know, the President is very focused on the economy. So coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic and with much uncertainty and disruption around us, the President is not sparing any effort to address the economic challenges facing the country today,” he said.
Aside from the UNGA speech, he is looking forward to his trip to New York to bring more economic opportunities for the Philippines as it emerges from the pandemic.
The President’s economic managers will also be with him in New York to talk about “macro-economic and sectoral issues that might be of interest to potential US investors and partners.”
President Marcos will be participating in CEO roundtables on targeted sectors while in New York.
“These roundtables are designed to project the Philippines as an important emerging economy and investment destination in Asia. Present will be companies that are operating in the Philippines and with expansion plans, as well as those who are planning to invest in the country in the near future,” DFA Assec. Gonzaga said.
“On the other hand, we expect the one-on-one business meetings of the President to deal with priority areas that can engender a quick post-pandemic economic recovery and the long-term resilience of the Philippine economy,” he said.
He said Marcos will also “meet with US companies that would be able to contribute to our efforts to achieve food security, energy security and sustainable economic development among others.”
The President is also expected to meet with the US Chamber of Commerce, the US-ASEAN Business Council, and the US-Philippine Society.
(Eagle News Service)