By Dean Aubrey Caratiquet
On the heels of the recently-concluded Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit held from May 25-28 in Malaysia, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. welcomed the visit of Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong to the Philippines in a bilateral meeting at Malacañang on Wednesday, June 5.
President Marcos shared that bilateral relations between the Philippines and Singapore remain robust and continue to deliver tangible benefits for both nations, including detailed discussions on priority areas of cooperation.
The President said, “We exchanged views on what we can further do together to make the ASEAN community stronger and more resilient. Singapore remains one of our country’s most important investors. I expressed my hope that we will remain an important destination for these investments, and that the collaboration of our private sectors, both in the Philippines and in the region, will further deepen and adapt to global developments.”
On climate change mitigation, President Marcos Jr. said both countries reaffirmed their commitment to collaborate on a carbon credit mechanism in line with Article 6.2 of the Paris Agreement by commencing negotiations on an implementing arrangement.
He also hoped to score a bilateral agreement with Singapore on health cooperation, amidst the enduring collaboration, training, and exchanges between health experts of both nations.
The Chief Executive declared, “It is appropriate that our respective agencies assist in the reintegration of the hardworking overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) once they have completed their work contracts in Singapore and have returned to the Philippines.”
He also expressed the Philippines’ commitment to continuing to advocate for a rules-based international order grounded in international law, equity, and justice, to achieve peace and stability in the West Philippine Sea and the South China Sea.
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