We congratulate President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr. as he comes home from a very successful trip to the United States of America.

It has been more than a decade since a Philippine President has met with the President of the U.S. in the White House, and we thank President Joe Biden for his hospitality.

Napakalaking bagay na personal nagkaharap ang mga pinuno ng ating mga bansa na dekada na ang pagkakaibigan at pagtutulungan sa maraming bagay. Ang matagumpay na pagbisitang ito ni PBBM ay higit pang magpapatibay sa pagkakaibigan at pagtutulungan na ito.

The United States’ commitment to its treaty obligations and the security of the Philippines, as well as to the principles of freedom of navigation and respect for international law, is reassuring in these times.

Binabati rin natin ang pangulo sa kanyang pagpulong sa mga malalaking negosyo at negosyante sa Amerika para sila ay anyayahan na mamuhunan sa Pilipinas.

President Marcos has secured Moderna’s undertaking to set up a vaccine-making facility in the country. He also reached an agreement with American healthcare service provider Optum to invest some P800 million in the medical business process outsourcing industry of our country. Moreover, PBBM also secured a commitment from Carnival Corporation that it will hire some 75,000 Filipino seafarers in the next 3-4 years. Further, he also bagged investments from business process outsourcing firm Atento that has decided to put up call center facilities in Iloilo City.

The investments the President secured will usher in jobs and economic activity that will further contribute to the good outlook for our economy.

Just this April, the Asian Development Bank forecasts the Philippine economy to grow by 6.0% this year, climbing further by 6.2% in 2024, which is echoed by the IMF which raised its 2023 gross domestic product (GDP) growth projection for the Philippines to 6%, from the 5% forecast given in January.

Nagpapasalamat rin tayo sa Pangulo para sa adhikain niya na pagtibayin pa lalo ang seguridad ng ating bansa. With the new bilateral defense guidelines formed by the two nations, we are assured that our mutual defense cooperation will be more responsive to the call of times.

We are on better days, and we can truly say that through the leadership of our President, our nation is in really good hands and is bound to flourish in our time. Thank you Mr. President. The Filipino people are excited to welcome you home.