By Dean Aubrey Caratiquet
Not long after President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. attends the 47th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit and Related Summits held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, from October 26-28, the President is expected to attend the 32nd Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders Meeting to be held in Gyeongju, Republic of Korea (ROK) from October 30-November 2.
Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Spokesperson Angelica Escalona noted in a Palace press briefing on Tuesday that this upcoming engagement of the Chief Executive came upon the invitation of ROK President Lee Jae Myung, where Marcos is expected to participate in high-level talks with leaders of 20 other APEC member economies.
Anchored on the theme “Building a Sustainable Tomorrow: Connect, Innovate, and Prosper,” the Chief Executive is expected to advance Philippine economic interests, forge deeper ties with APEC members, and reaffirm the Southeast Asian nation’s commitment to the 21-member regional bloc’s vision of a more open, prosperous, and dynamic Asia Pacific amid global headwinds.
Two sessions will be held at the meeting, which is expected to yield four outcome documents, which include the Leaders’ Declaration and 3 statements on artificial intelligence (AI), demographic change, and cultural & creative industries, which are the top priorities in focus at the conference.
Escalona expounded on the possible contents of the statement on AI, “For AI, it’s really about aligning this with our national AI strategy because our goal is to establish (an) artificial intelligence-powered Philippines by 2028. ‘Yong sinabi kanina na APEC AI initiative, this will help us [Philippines] to take an active part in shaping how AI is used across the region in ways that are innovation-friendly, safe, transparent, and free.”
Marcos Jr. is expected to participate in the Leaders’ Dialogue with the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC), composed of representatives from the private sector, as well as give a speech at the APEC CEO Summit, along with representatives from APEC member states and top business executives.
The Chief Executive is expected to conclude his 4-day stint in ROK by meeting with the Filipino community in Busan, engaging with various business leaders and executives, and partaking in a wreath-laying and tree planting ceremony at the UN Memorial Cemetery—honoring 7,240 Filipino soldiers who fought during Korean war as members of the Philippine Expeditionary Forces to Korea (PEFTOK) sent to the battlefield by the United Nations Command in 1950.
South Korea is home to more than 70,000 Filipinos, with 42,000 of them being overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) working in sectors like manufacturing, agriculture, fishing, entertainment, and household services.
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