President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. called on newly appointed envoys to “look for opportunities” for business and partnerships for the Philippines.
Mr. Marcos issued the challenge during a courtesy call of the newly appointed ambassadors on Thursday in Malacañang, where he discussed the different tasks of ambassadors in advancing the country’s interests, particularly as economies grapple with multiple challenges.
“It is a different kind of mission. You no longer are concerned solelywith diplomatic contact and the diplomatic exchanges. We are no longer limited by distance, by geographical and physical positioning,” the President said.
He urged the diplomats to continue to communicate and promote the interest of the Philippines and to “foster partnerships with all our neighbors.”
“And whether or not they are allies, whether or not they are friendly, nonetheless, it is very important that we continue to communicate, that we continue to engage, that we continue to have a way to explain what the Philippines is trying to do, how the Philippines sees its role in the community of nations,” he said.
“I think it is important [that] we now look and be very, very conscientious about finding opportunities for the Philippines,” the President added.
Mr. Marcos said it is important for the Philippines to seal partnerships especially as the country “navigates out of this pandemic economy” and grapples with the effects of the war in Ukraine.
“And in this time, I think it is very important that those partnerships are created and strengthened,” he said.
As representatives of the Philippines, the President said ambassadors should serve as instruments in helping the national economy and pursuing opportunities to woo more investors.
“When we endorse and assist the private sector in partnerships with whoever the investors from outside, that is also a good thing for us,” he added.
The President also pointed out that the country benefits from a government-to-government level of negotiation as well as mediating with the private sector in terms of investment tie-up with foreign investors.
Filipino ambassadors must consider these things so the country can maximize its resources and partnerships to effectively manage the economy and to help the Filipino people have a better life as the nation slowly emerges from all of its present challenges, the President added.
The new envoys included Ambassador Grace Tolentino Cruz-Fabella for the Argentine Republic; Ambassador Jaime Victor Badillo Leda for the Kingdom of Belgium; Ambassador Joseph Gerard Bacani Angeles for the Federative Republic of Brazil; Ambassador Eduardo Martin Ramos Meñez for the Czech Republic; Ambassador Gina Alagon Jamoralin for the Republic of Indonesia; and Ambassador Pedro Ramirez Laylo Jr. for the State of Israel.
The list of newly appointed and confirmed ambassadors also includes Ambassador Nathaniel Garcia Imperial for the Italian Republic; Ambassador Mylene De Joya Garcia-Albano for Japan; Ambassador Wilfredo Cunanan Santos for the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan; Ambassador Lilybeth Rodriguez Deapera for the United Mexican States; Ambassador Lilibeth Velasco Pono for the State of Qatar; Ambassador Medardo Antonio Gonzales Macaraig for the Republic of Singapore; and Ambassador Alfonso Ferdinand Agbayani Ver for the United Arab Emirates.