President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. was warmly welcomed by the Filipino community in Singapore in an event at the National University of Singapore on Tuesday, Sept. 6, as part of his two-day State Visit before meeting Singaporean leaders on Wednesday.
Marcos arrived in Singapore past Tuesday noon, along with First Lady Liza Marcos, Rep. Sandro Marcos, and the rest of the Philippine delegation.
NOW: President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. meets with the Filipino community in Singapore | Sept. 6, 2022https://t.co/W2Fx1AmAbK pic.twitter.com/UkdngHenM9
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In his speech, he thanked Filipinos who made time for the event and for their continuing support, while giving assurance that the government will strengthen its services to deliver better services through the embassy.
“Inilatag ko sa State of the Nation Address ang mga plano ng gobyerno para sa patuloy na pagbangon ng Pilipinas. Alam kong ako ay makakaasa sa inyong patuloy na aktibong partisipasyon at pagtulong sa ating mga kababayan at sa ating bansa,” he said.
“Makakaasa kayo na ako, kasama ang ating Gabinete, ang ating mga opisyal, ay puspusang magtatrabaho upang makamit ang inaasam-asam nating pag-asenso,” he added.
The President also lauded overseas Filipinos’ hard work even during the pandemic which he said has brought high remittances into the country.
“Dahil mayroon tayong 107-M na Pilipino na napakagaling, napakahusay, napakasipag, napakabait, napakainit ang pagmahal sa Pilipinas, kaya’t there is no doubt in my mind that the Philippines can recover from the hardships caused by the pandemic,” he said.
“Hand-in-hand, sama-sama tayong babangong muli. We will rise above the challenges and we will fly to greater heights. Pilipino tayo at dapat nating ipagmalaki ang ating [pagka] Pilipino dahil mayroon naman tayong sinabi,” he added.
Meanwhile, Migrant Workers Secretary Susan Ople said the Singaporean government has reached out to the Philippines regarding its need for more Filipino healthcare workers.
“Bukas, isa sa mga lalagdaan ay [ang] joint communique with the Ministry of Health na nakasaad doon ang kanilang paniniwala, ang kanilang kagustuhan na maka-hire pa ng Filipino health workers at nangako silang aalagaan sila nang husto,” she said. – With reports from Mark Fetalco and Alec Go – gb
