MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. arrived back home on Sunday morning after a working trip in the United States.
Marcos was in the US from September 18 to 24, in time for his participation at the 77th United Nations General Assembly. His diplomatic immunity as head of state allows him on US soil despite being named in a contempt judgment resulting from a human rights class action suit.
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The Philippine delegation also tried to woo investors via business roundtable discussions and by hosting the Philippine Economic Briefing. Marcos also delivered a keynote address at the New York Stock Exchange.
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"We in the Philippine delegation are one in our assessment that the work done in this trip serves as a good start for opportunities identified to be made into programs and projects to benefit the Philippines and our countrymen," Marcos said in his arrival statement.
Just like his trips to Indonesia and Singapore, Marcos first met with the Filipino community upon arriving in New Jersey last week. The chief executive recognized migrant Filipino workers for their contributions abroad and back home.
"I also took the opportunity to share with them some of our priorities and plans under this administration and their important role in the work ahead," Marcos said.
READ: Marcos: Investments, people needed back home to help Philippines grow
Meanwhile, Marcos delivered the national statement before the UN on September 20, calling on the international community to work on issues such as climate change, rising food prices, and asking governments to put up measures in order to keep up with technological changes.
It was during his speech where the Philippines made a bid for a seat at the UN Security Council for the term 2027 to 2028.
While at the session, Marcos also met with US President Joe Biden to discuss the US-Philippine alliance, the situation in the South China Sea, as well as Russia’s invasion on Ukraine and how it is affecting global commodity prices. Biden was one of the first world leaders to congratulate Marcos on his election win.
However, statements from Press Secretary Trixie Cruz-Angeles earlier caused confusion after she falsely claimed that Marcos was the only leader Biden spoke to at the sidelines of the UNGA.
Meanwhile, Marcos, the Philippine economic team, and Filipino business leaders also held dialogues with investors and US business leaders, with the chief executive claiming that the Philippines is “Asia’s fastest rising economic star.”
“We identified the opportunities and challenges to our achieving our common objectives of growth and development in various areas,” Marcos said.
“I thanked them for their candid and constructive comments, and I look forward to working with them on the issues and agreements that we identified.”