By Darryl John Esguerra | Philippine News Agency
The Philippines and Singapore further strengthened their over five-decade-old bilateral relations, signing on Thursday new deals on the deployment of Filipino health workers and in addressing climate change.
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and Singaporean President Tharman Shanmugaratnam witnessed the signing of these deals in Malacañan Palace as part of the latter’s three-day state visit to Manila.
The first memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed was on the recruitment of Filipino healthcare workers.
According to Marcos, the two countries’ respective health agencies have worked hard on this MOU to ensure that a balance is achieved between the needs of the healthcare sector of both countries as well as the need for personal development and growth of Filipino health workers.
“Through this MOU, we express our confidence in Singapore’s legal and judicial system, which will ensure that the rights, welfare, and well-being of our kababayan OFWs (overseas Filipino workers) will be protected as they pursue their careers in Singapore,” Marcos said.
An MOU for Collaboration on Carbon Credits under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement was also formalized.
“Hopefully, with this memorandum, we will be able to incentivize both industries and individuals to actively work to reduce their carbon footprint, while allowing the government to mobilize financial resources to boost fiscal space,” Marcos said.
The President also bared that more agreements between the Philippines and Singapore are in the pipeline, such as on health, which would ensure that Filipino health workers, whose contracts are nearing completion, will be reintegrated into the Philippine economy.
An agreement between Philippine local government units and their Singapore private sector partners is also being worked out, according to Marcos.
Marcos and Tharman first met on the sidelines of Asia’s 2024 IISS Shangri-La Dialogue in May.
The Singaporean leader’s visit is a response to the invitation of Marcos.
The diplomatic relations between the Philippines and Singapore were established on May 16, 1969.