Philippines President Ferdinand R Marcos Jr who met with the Filipino community in the Sultanate yesterday, praised them.
The President addressing his countrymen said; “Over the years, every time I go abroad and when I talk to my foreign counterparts, I always receive compliments of the strong work ethics of the Filipinos. I am always told that Filipinos have unparalleled skills, efficiency and trustworthiness. And I know that it is the same here in Brunei. You may all have different professionals, but what we bring to all is proven by the record made by the Filipinos and the reputation gained of bringing is a special brand of service everywhere we go.”
President Marcos Jr also shared, “We honour overseas Filipinos for your sacrifices for the nation. One of the promises that I made when I took my oath as president was to create more jobs in the Philippines, so that working abroad will only be a career choice, not the only option for hard working men and women of the Philippines.”
He noted that investment in the Philippines in 2023 reached PHP1.26 trillion, surpassing initial optimism target of PHP1.151-trillion.
He added, “To far exceed this mark is a clear testament to the growing confidence of investors in fostering their businesses’ growth within the Philippines. Upon full operations, the projects are expected to produce 49,030 jobs for Filipinos.”
President Marcos Jr also encouraged Filipinos residing in the country to return home someday and set up businesses.
He also iterated his relentless push to prioritise the development of the agriculture sector.
President Marcos Jr said, “I cannot emphasise enough that we really need to invest the development and productivity as well as modernisation of our agriculture sector by building infrastructure and improving market linkages of our farmers.
“Our farm lands will not only yield crops but also opportunities to create ripple of positive effects throughout our nation.” The Philippine President and First Lady Louise Araneta-Marcos arrived in Brunei Darussalam yesterday on a two-day state visit to review the progress of bilateral cooperation, explore new mutually-beneficial partnerships and collaboration aimed at achieving prosperity.
Around 1,000 Philippine nationals turned up at the event at Bridex International Conference Centre to get up close and personal with the president.
There are currently around 22,000 Filipinos residing and working in the Sultanate. – James Kon
