Marcos vows transparency to promote trade

MANILA, Philippines — President Marcos yesterday vowed to make business processes easier and more transparent to encourage more investors to come to the Philippines.

Speaking before delegates of the Honolulu City Council and participants of the 31st Trade Mission at Malacañang, Marcos said while the Philippines had to be “a little protectionist” during the COVID-19 pandemic, the situation and circumstances have changed.

“And now I think we are presented with so many grand opportunities that we should, it behooves us to do our best, to try and explore those, to make those potentialities into reality. And there are many, many areas (where) we can do that,” the President said.

“For our part, in the Philippines, what we have been trying to do is to make the investments or the exchanges easier so that it is more transparent, more accountable,” he added.

According to Marcos, the country has been encountering supply chain problems being felt around and the world.

“I think that we have succeeded to an extent, we will continue to work in that direction because again, trade is important to us,” the Chief Executive said.

Marcos said he sees a “great deal” of potential between the Philippines and Hawaii, where he and his family were exiled after the 1986 People Power Revolution that unseated his late father and namesake.

“It is very important that we in this administration have really done all we can to encourage the strengthening of those exchanges because we consider it very, very important... We have come to a very clear principle that the only way forward in terms of the economy in the Philippines, and for that matter, for the rest of the world, is trade,” he said.

“And so, again, I think I see many grand opportunities...and to explore those opportunities and try to make them into a reality for the betterment of both Hawaii and your partners here in the Philippines,” he added.

Marcos reiterated that Hawaii and its people have a special place in his heart, citing the kindness they extended to his family during their exile and the longstanding connection between the island state and the Philippines, especially the country’s northern region.

“It is on a more personal, intimate level, the kindnesses that we were shown...in difficult circumstances are something that we will be forever grateful for and that we will never forget and therefore you have your number one supporter here in the Philippines,” he added.

Present during the joint courtesy call were the delegations from the Honolulu City Council, the Filipino Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii and Hawaii Philippines Business Economic Council.