President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. (PNA photo by Rey Baniquet)
MANILA – President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. arrived in Washington, D.C. on Sunday for a five-day official visit aimed at reaffirming the special relationship between the Philippines and the United States.
According to the Presidential Communications Office (PCO), the PR 001 flight carrying Marcos and his official delegation landed at the Joint Base Andrews at 4:55 p.m. Sunday Washington, D.C. time (4:55 a.m. Philippine time).
Aside from strengthening political ties with US during his working visit, Marcos said he would also advance the administration’s economic agenda, particularly agriculture, power, infrastructure, and new technologies.
“That’s on the economic level… on the political level, it will still be centered around the relationship between the Philippines and the United States… On the, again, the economic side, we will have to go into detail or meeting with many of the big companies who we were not able to see in the other trips, ‘yung sa New York at saka ‘yung sa Davos (those in New York and in Davos),” Marcos said during an interview with the media.
Marcos also talked about keeping peace in the Indo-Pacific region amid global tensions, as well as enhancing the role of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in the global dialogue.
“To put our position forward, and to say that… kami wala kaming interes kung hindi maging peaceful lang ang region namin. Talagang hindi magka-problema ang mga Pilipino, ‘yun lang naman ang habol natin (we don’t have any other interest rather than make our region peaceful. What we want is to be trouble free),” Marcos said.
The president’s itinerary will begin with a meeting with US President Joe Biden, followed by an expanded meeting with key Cabinet officials.
He is also expected to sit down with legislators, major US companies and business groups.
