President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó on Thursday vowed to strengthen the ties between the Philippines and Hungary in the face of global challenges as well as opportunities.

Marcos received Szijjártó at Malacañang during which both leaders expressed optimism for better Philippines-Hungary relations which was forged on 28 September 1973.

During the courtesy call, Marcos acknowledged the challenges of the current global situation but emphasized the potential for new partnerships with other countries, including Hungary.

“The 50th commemoration of our formal ties and I hope that with all that is happening around the world and all of the opportunities, of course, there are challenges, and all the opportunities also that we’ll be able to hopefully forge new relationships,” Marcos said.

The discussion also touched on the Filipino community in Hungary. President Marcos acknowledged the difficulty in coming up with the exact number of Filipinos living and working there due to their mobility.

However, he emphasized that these Filipinos have found new opportunities in Hungary.

“We have many Filipino nationals in your country who have chosen to live and work there,” Marcos said.

The Philippine Embassy in Hungary has reported that approximately 15,000 Filipinos lived in the Central European nation as of late 2023.

Majority of the Filipinos are employed as automotive technicians, machine operators, drivers, forklift operators, hotel workers, farm workers, warehouse workers, logistics operators and truck drivers.

Szijjártó, for his part, reciprocated the warm welcome and expressed his appreciation for the invitation. He also praised the Philippine government officials he would be collaborating with.

“Mr. President, thank you so much for receiving me. Thank you so much for the invitation. You have great secretaries with whom I’ll be working together for a long time,” Szijjártó said.

The visit was Minister Szijjártó’s third trip to the Philippines, underscoring the growing importance placed on the bilateral relationship. Both sides expressed their commitment to working together through their respective government officials.