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Philippines' Marcos visits Indonesia in first overseas trip as president

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Philippines' Marcos meets Indonesia's Jokowi in 1st state visit

Southeast Asian leaders discuss regional security and economic cooperation

JAKARTA -- The Philippines' new president met his Indonesian counterpart on the outskirts of Jakarta on Monday, as he began his first state visit since his election in May.

Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. met with Indonesian President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo in Bogor, with the leaders discussing regional security and economic cooperation against a backdrop of growing Chinese influence.

Marcos's ASEAN trip sets tone for 'independent' foreign policy

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Marcos flies to Indonesia in first foreign trip as president

JAKARTA — President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. left for Indonesia on Sunday for his first foreign trip since taking office in June.

He is expected to meet the Filipino community upon his arrival in the Indonesian capital later in the day.

"This is to once again put the Philippines in a position where we have strong alliances and strong partnerships which are necessary for us to come out of the post-pandemic economy," Marcos said in his message before his departure.

"So I leave to undertake my first state visit to our immediate neighbors, Indonesia and Singapore. In other words, ako'y mangangapit-bahay para sa ating bansa at para sa ating ekonomiya," he added.

Marcos' visit to Indonesia, which will be from September 4 to 6, was at the invitation of Indonesian President Joko Widodo. The two leaders are expected to discuss active and multifaceted cooperation in defense, maritime border security, economic development, and people-to-people exchanges.

"We'll be discussing the current state and the future as we see it of the bilateral relationship between the Philippines and Indonesia and the changing geopolitical environment," Marcos said.

According to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), Marcos and Widodo will also witness the signing of several key agreements in the areas of defense and culture and the comprehensive plan of action, which will chart the two countries’ bilateral priorities in the next five years.

Marcos is also expected to raise the case of Mary Jane Veloso with Indonesian officials, the DFA said, as her family urged the President to appeal for executive clemency.

At a pre-departure briefing last Friday, DFA spokesperson Ma. Teresita Daza declined to give further details to avoid preempting the discussions that will happen during the state visit.

Daza was not privy to information about whether Marcos would make an effort to visit Veloso in jail.

Veloso is on death row in Indonesia due to drug trafficking charges. She had insisted that it was her recruiters who tricked her into bringing drugs by giving her a suitcase that contained narcotics in its seams.

At the invitation of Singaporean President Halimah Yacob, Marcos will head to Singapore on September 6 for a state visit.

He will have separate meetings with Yacob and Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong to discuss bilateral relations and regional and global issues.

Marcos will also seek investments to create m more employment opportunities for Filipinos.

Daza said that investment deals would be tailored to the priority areas of the Marcos administration, meaning they may include infrastructure, renewable energy, food and security, and fertilizer importation, among others.

Harvest of business deals

In his speech, Marcos mentioned that he would be seeking partnership and assistance "for investment in the areas where we see that they can be of an assistance especially in the critical areas as we have identified them in agriculture and in energy."

"I expect that we will be coming back with a harvest of business deals to be signed in my state visits that will further strengthen our economic ties with both Indonesia and Singapore," Marcos said.

"All these initiatives that we will undertake on these state visits are very much in line with all of the priority areas that we have identified, the agricultural sector, the guarantee of food supply, the guarantee of food prices that are affordable to ordinary Filipinos, the long-term plans that we have for energy, the long-term plans that we have for our emergence into the new global economy," he added.

According to Daza, a memorandum of understanding will also be signed regarding cooperation and personal data protection.

This deal will be inked by the National Privacy Commission and the Personal Data Protection Commission of Singapore.

Marcos’ delegation includes Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo, Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno, Trade and Industry Secretary Alfredo Pascual, Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman, Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan, and Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Felipe Medalla.

Marcos, meanwhile, expressed gratitude to the governments of Indonesia and Singapore "for the way they have welcomed and allowed to assimilate our Filipino nationals into their society, into their economy, and into their daily lives."

"We are always so proud of them and we are glad to see that our neighbors where our Filipino nationals work and strive also appreciate them for what they do," Marcos said.

On the other hand, Vice President Sara Duterte will take the helm of government while the President is out of the country.   —VBL/LBG, GMA News

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Philippines' Marcos visits Indonesia in first overseas trip as president

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JAKARTA (Reuters) - Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr met with his Indonesian counterpart Joko Widodo on Monday for a state visit focused on bolstering defence, trade and other ties between the two neighbours.

The trip by Marcos, the son and namesake of the late ruler who was overthrown in a popular uprising 36 years ago, is his first official venture overseas since his landslide election victory in May.

President Widodo, widely known as Jokowi, said the leaders had signed a defence and security cooperation agreement, a five-year diplomatic action plan, and agreed to speed up and review maritime borders arrangements.

Trade between the countries had increased by nearly 50% compared to last year, Jokowi said, calling for border trade to be developed further and transport routes revitalised.

Speaking alongside Jokowi at the state palace in Bogor, Marcos said both nations were committed to maintaining regional stability through the 10-member regional grouping, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

"We also spoke at length about the role that we believe ASEAN should play while we faced difficulties, (at) this very volatile time in geopolitics, not only in our region, but also in the rest of the world," he said.

"We agreed that ASEAN is going to be the lead agent in the changes that we would like to see in continuing to bring peace to our countries."

The Jakarta Post newspaper in an editorial on Monday said the visit would also be a chance for the new president to lobby Widodo on the case of Mary Jane Veloso, a Filipino on death row in Indonesia for drug smuggling, although neither president publicly mentioned the case.

The leaders share joint security concerns with suicide bombings in both countries, including on churches, in recent years. The involvement of Indonesian fighters in the 2017 takeover of the Philippines' Marawi City by Islamist militants had also demonstrated what analysts say are linkages between regional extremists.

Marcos, who described Indonesia as one of his country's closest allies, is due to meet business leaders with his economic team later on Monday and will fly to Singapore on Tuesday.

(Reporting by Ananda Teresia and Zahra Maharani in Jakarta and Enrico Dela Cruz and Karen Lema in Manila; Writing by Kate Lamb; Editing by Martin Petty, Ed Davies)

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Philippine President Marcos to make state visits to Indonesia, Singapore in September

MANILA - Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr is set to fly to Indonesia and Singapore in early September, following in the tradition of past leaders who visit South-east Asian nations for their first official trip.

Mr Marcos' press secretary Trixie Angeles-Cruz said on Friday (Aug 19) that the President will first visit Indonesia from Sept 4 to 6, before heading to Singapore from Sept 6 to 7.

Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed Mr Marcos' upcoming visit at the invitation of President Halimah Yacob.

"We look forward to welcoming President Marcos to Singapore," a spokesman said.

In May, Madam Halimah had sent her congratulations to Mr Marcos after he won the presidential election.

"I recall fondly the warm and gracious hospitality extended to me by the Filipino people during my state visit to the Philippines in September 2019. I look forward to working with you to strengthen the friendship between our two countries," Madam Halimah had written.

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong had likewise congratulated Mr Marcos and noted the "deep and longstanding ties" between Singapore and the Philippines.

"As fellow founding members of Asean, we share a similar outlook on key regional and global developments, and work closely to promote regional peace and prosperity," PM Lee said.

Mr Marcos is also expected to visit the United States, which counts the Philippines as one of its oldest treaty allies in Asia, at a later date.

He said in June that he is keen to attend the United Nations General Assembly, set to be held in New York from Sept 13 to 17.

US President Joe Biden has also invited Mr Marcos to visit Washington.

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Marcos arrives in Indonesia for first state visit

JAKARTA, Indonesia—President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. on Sunday, Sept 4, arrived at Soekarno–Hatta International Airport at around 12:35 p.m. (1:35 p.m. Philippine time) to embark on his first state visit since assuming the highest seat.

Marcos Jr. flew here onboard a presidential plane—PR001—which also carried other Philippine delegates, including his wife, First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos and Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Secretary Enrique Manalo.

Members of his economic team, composed of Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Sec. Amenah Pangandaman, Department of Finance (DOF) Sec. Benjamin Diokno, Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Sec. Alfredo Pascual, National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Sec. Arsenio Balisacan and Bangko Sentral of the Philippines (BSP) Governor Felipe Medalla, were also part of the delegation.

Before his departure, the President faced the public at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 2 to reiterate the highlights of his trip, which include strengthening the country's bilateral relations with Indonesia and promoting investments in the Philippines.

It was followed by departure rites led by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP). AFP chief Lt. Gen. Bartolome Vicente Bacarro accompanied his commander-in-chief during the ceremony.

Marcos Jr., concurrent chief of the Department of Agriculture (DA), also bared plans to discuss Agriculture matters—which were not part of the initial advisory regarding his trip—with Indonesian President Joko Widodo, who invited him for the visit.

"Beyond that, we will also be seeking the partnership and the help of our friends in Indonesia from the President and our friends in Indonesia for investment in the areas where we see that they can be of assistance especially in the critical areas we have identified them in agriculture and in energy," he said in his speech.

Marcos will then be escorted to a hotel in Central Jakarta to face the Filipino community. As of June 2022, there are about 7451 Filipinos working in various sectors in Indonesia, DFA spokesperson Ma. Teresita Daza said.

Marcos arrives in Indonesia for first state visit

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Bongbong Marcos to go on state visits to Indonesia, Singapore; US visit being ‘worked out’

FILE PHOTO: President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. INQUIRER FILES

MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. will go to Indonesia and Singapore for his state visits next month , the Palace announced Friday.

Press Secretary Trixie Cruz-Angeles said the state visit to Indonesia will happen from September 4 to 6, while his visit to Singapore will happen on September 6 to 7.

“Iko-confirm ko rin lang po yung dalawang state visit to indonesia at tsaka to Singapore…  Actually wala pa tayong masyadong detalye pero kino-confirm namin na tuloy pa rin po ito,” Cruz-Angeles said in a press briefing.

Meanwhile, Cruz-Angeles said Marcos’ visit to the United States for the United Nations (UN) General Assembly is still being “worked out.”

“As for the visit doon sa US, it’s still being worked out. Although nagsabi ang Pangulo that he will be going. So we will release the details on this as they come in,” Cruz-Angeles said.

The UN General Assembly will also happen in the U.S. next month.

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Marcos tour signals new foreign policy direction

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Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr concluded his first foreign visit in style, meeting counterparts from key Southeast Asian countries of Indonesia and Singapore.

Following in the footsteps of his predecessors, the Filipino president chose neighboring countries from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) as his first foreign destination in an expression of solidarity as well as a commitment to continued regional integration. 

Beyond symbolism and the logistical ease of visiting proximate destinations, Marcos Jr’s visit carried significant strategic significance.

Indonesia and Singapore, representing the region’s largest and most advanced economies respectively, have been the de facto leaders of ASEAN in recent decades, shepherding the regional organization throughout a tumultuous era of superpower competition. 

Both Indonesia and Singapore are also non-aligned nations, ably maintaining robust strategic ties with both the US and China. Thus both serve as an inspiration for the new Filipino president, who has vowed to  pursue an “independent” foreign policy . 

The visits culminated in a package of bilateral agreements which aim to enhance economic, defense and people-to-people cooperation between Manila and its primary counterparts within ASEAN.

Crucially, his diplomatic debut also served as a test-run for Marcos Jr’s visit to the US in the coming weeks to attend the United Nations General Assembly and, most likely, also personally meet US President Joseph Biden on the sidelines. 

It also likely helped to set the tone for his planned official visits to the White House, the first in almost a decade by a Filipino leader, and other major capitals, including Brussels, Beijing and Tokyo in the near future. 

Traditionally, Filipino presidents choose neighboring ASEAN countries for their first official visits. Partly, this is a matter of geographic and logistical convenience.

Filipino presidents are often inaugurated just months before major ASEAN summits, so arranging multiple trips across Southeast Asia is almost de rigueur in the first few months of any Filipino presidency. 

ASEAN-related confabs, including the East Asia Summit, which brings together major Indo-Pacific powers of US, China, Russia, India, Australia, South Korea, and the European Union, also provide an opportunity for newly-inaugurated Filipino presidents to meet global leaders. 

The prioritization of neighboring countries is also a reflection of the Philippines’ historic role as one of the founding members of the regional organization and, accordingly, its avowed commitment to continued regional integration.

Former Filipino president Rodrigo Duterte’s first foreign visits were also to neighboring Southeast Asian countries, including Indonesia, where he  held cordial conversations  with President Joko Widodo.

Marcos Jr’s first foreign visit choice, however, also reflected his strategic priorities, especially amid ongoing economic challenges at home and festering superpower rivalry in the region. Despite boasting the region’s largest populations, Indonesia and the Philippines have had relatively limited trade and investment relations throughout the years. 

Last year, bilateral trade stood at US $9.5 billion , the bulk of which ($7.3 billion) was dominated by Indonesian exports. The Filipino community in Indonesia, numbering at around  7,451 and responsible for $17.5 million in annual remittances , is also relatively marginal compared to the millions of Filipino workers in the Middle East and Europe. 

Throughout the opening years of the Cold War period, bilateral relations were also frosty. After all, American bases in the Philippines  served as operational platforms  for surveillance missions in Indonesia as well as support for secessionist Pemerintahan Semesta (Permesta) rebellions in Sulawesi throughout.

For its part, Indonesia, beginning with the Bandung Conference (1955), became a  pillar of the global Non-Aligned Movement (NAM),  refusing to side with any major superpower against the other, thus placing neighboring US-aligned nations such as the Philippines in an awkward spot. 

Nevertheless, the two countries have gradually upgraded their strategic and defense relations in recent years, thanks to their booming economies and shared security concerns in the region.  Following Marcos Jr’s visit, the two countries signed the Philippines-Indonesia Plan of Action for 2022-2027 to facilitate a new era of bilateral cooperation. 

Marcos Jr and Widodo renewed the  1997 Agreement on Cooperative Activities in the Field of Defense and Security , which provides a framework to “enhance collaboration” between the two countries, including in the areas of intelligence-sharing, border and maritime security, joint drills and military interoperability, and exchange programs involving defense officials and military officers. 

Following the Marawi siege in 2017, when a group of ragtag Islamic extremists tried to claim the southern Philippine city as an Islamic State territory, the Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia began  conducting joint maritime and air patrols  in their shared maritime borders. 

The two sides also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for Cooperation on the Development and Promotion of Creative Economy, which aims to enhance cross-investments in emerging sectors such as the booming fintech industry in both nations.

For its part, Indonesia already boasts so-called start-up unicorns such as  Gojek, an all-purpose service company that has set its sight on an international market. 

As the Philippines’ concurrent agriculture secretary, Marcos Jr has also sought Indonesia’s assistance to develop his  country’s agriculture and fisheries industry , especially amid rising food costs and inflationary pressure at home.

The two neighbors also have shared concerns over massive illegal fishing in their resource-rich waters, especially from China. To this end, the Philippines and Indonesia are exploring institutionalized cooperation among their coast guard and maritime affairs agencies.  

The Filipino president, flanked by his top technocrats, also sought expanded Indonesian  investments in massive infrastructure development  projects at home. 

Following  his “more productive than expected”  visit to Indonesia, which yielded $ 8.5 billion in new business  deals, Marcos Jr embarked on a working visit to neighboring Singapore. 

There, the son of a former Filipino strongman received  a rockstar reception  among the large Filipino overseas community in Singapore.

“You gave me more than 31 million votes. That’s why I owe much to you all. In exchange, I promise to work on giving you jobs and improving the Philippines,” Marcos Jr told his legion of Filipino fans during his visit to the city-state.

The Filipino president also met Singapore’s President Halimah Yacob and Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong to discuss bilateral cooperation and regional affairs, especially in the realm of counter-terrorism and maritime security.

By deftly maintaining robust defense and economic relations  with both the US and China , Singapore, largely seen as a strategic bellwether in Asia, has also been an inspiration for Marcos Jr’s vision of an “independent” foreign policy for the Philippines.  

Singapore is also a major economic partner and potential source of infrastructure investments, including in strategic locations such as  Clark special economic zone , in the Philippines.

Throughout the past decade, Singapore has consistently been the Philippines’ top trading partner in ASEAN. Last year, bilateral trade hit $23.2 billion after posting a 17.2% year-on-year growth. 

In many ways, Singapore has become a role model for Marcos Jr, who has claimed that his namesake  father would have made the Philippines  similarly prosperous had he not been ousted in 1986: “If there was no EDSA 1 [People Power revolt], if my father was allowed to pursue his plans, I believe that we would be like Singapore now.”

Follow Richard Javad Heydarian on Twitter at @richeydarian

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Follow our news, recent searches, pm wong to visit brunei, malaysia in first overseas trip since taking office, advertisement.

The Prime Minister will travel to Bandar Seri Begawan and Kuala Lumpur as part of a series of introductory visits to Southeast Asian capitals.

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SINGAPORE: Prime Minister Lawrence Wong will visit Brunei and Malaysia from Tuesday (Jun 11) to Wednesday, the Prime Minister's Office said on Monday.

Mr Wong, who is also Singapore's Finance Minister, will visit Bandar Seri Begawan at the invitation of Brunei's Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, followed by Kuala Lumpur at the invitation of his Malaysian counterpart Anwar Ibrahim.

This is his first overseas trip since he  took office last month and it is part of a series of introductory visits to Southeast Asian capitals.

In Brunei, Mr Wong and his delegation will have a royal audience with the sultan and Queen Saleha, and also be hosted to an official lunch by the Bruneian leader.

The Singapore delegation will also meet Brunei's Crown Prince Al-Muhtadee Billah, who is a senior minister at Brunei's Prime Minister's Office, and his wife Sarah.

Mr Wong will be accompanied in Brunei by his wife Loo Tze Lui, Foreign Affairs Minister Vivian Balakrishnan, Minister for Sustainability and the Environment and Minister-in-charge of Trade Relations Grace Fu, National Development Minister Desmond Lee and Minister of State for Communications and Information and for Health Rahayu Mahzam. 

He will proceed to Malaysia on Tuesday evening and meet Malaysian Prime Minister and Finance Minister Anwar and other Malaysian leaders the following day.

Since taking office, Mr Wong has also connected with other fellow Southeast Asian leaders – either over the phone or in person – including Indonesian president-elect Prabowo Subianto, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr, Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin.

Brunei and Malaysia were also the first countries that Mr Wong's predecessor Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong visited when he took office in 2004.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry Gan Kim Yong will be Acting Prime Minister in Mr Wong's absence.

'We are very grateful': PM Wong thanks Thailand for SQ321 help

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr in Singapore to deliver keynote speech at Asia's top defence summit

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MARCOS TRIPS. President Marcos arrives in Manila after flying to Switzerland to attend the World Economic Forum – this 2nd trip in 2023 alone.

Presidential Communications Office

MANILA, Philippines – After promising to travel less in his second year as President – and managing to stay put in the Philippines from February to April, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr is set to fly to the United Kingdom to attend the coronation of King Charles on May 6.

His attendance was first confirmed by Teodoro Locsin Jr, the Philippines’ Ambassador to the UK. Charles and his wife, Queen Consort Camilla, will be crowned at the Westminster Abbey. This will be the first coronation of a British monarch to happen in the 21st century. Charles’ mother, the late Queen Elizabeth, was crowned in 1953.

In a statement late Monday, April 3, the Presidential Communications Office said: “President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and First Lady Louise Araneta-Marcos have accepted the invitation to attend the coronation of His Majesty King Charles III and Her Majesty The Queen Consort at Westminster Abbey on Saturday, 6th May, 2023.”

Marcos and the First Lady will also attend the reception in Buckingham Palace on May 5, or the day before the coronation.

Quoting Locsin, ABS-CBN News said Marcos would “leave at once” because he was also attending the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit. The 42nd ASEAN Summit and its side events are scheduled from May 9 to 11 in Jakarta, Indonesia.

According to the BBC, Charles’ coronation “formalizes the monarch’s role as the head of the Church of England and marks the transfer of their title and powers.”

Guests include the Royal Family, officials from the UK government, other heads of state, and other royals from around the world, according to the BBC.

ABS-CBN quoted Locsin as claiming Charles and Marcos “know each other because they used to play polo together.”

Marcos studied in the UK and exited Oxford University with a “special diploma” in 1978, when his father and namesake, the dictator Ferdinand E. Marcos, was still in power.

The President’s three sons, including newbie House leader Ferdinand Alexander “Sandro” Marcos, studied in the United Kingdom.

Charles earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Cambridge in 1970, making him the first heir to the throne with a university degree.

The visit to the UK and Indonesia would be Marcos’ fourth and fifth trips overseas in 2023, and his ninth and 10th since assuming office. (We count the trips according to the number of times he exits the country, not the number of countries visited.)

Marcos is also set to depart for state visit to Paris and the US at least one time in 2023 to attend the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit.

Marcos has been criticized for his many trips abroad, which he has justified by claiming the Philippines stands to benefit from foreign investments.

While the Marcos administration has repeatedly announced figures related to pledges made during these trips, an actual investment has yet to materialize. – Rappler.com

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