The economic and cultural partnership between the Philippines and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) was boosted through the so-called Government Experience Exchange Retreat that First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos graced on Wednesday, 17 September, at the Ayala Museum in Makati.

The retreat was hosted by the UAE to share government modernization and innovation practices with the Philippines.

The First Lady visited the UAE in February 2025 to represent the Philippines at the World Government Summit 2025 in Dubai. During the visit, she participated in discussions that contributed to the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Philippines and the UAE on government performance improvements, focusing on areas such as public financial management and innovation.

“Grateful to drop by the Government Experience Exchange Retreat and join leaders from the Philippines and the United Arab Emirates,” Mrs. Marcos wrote in a social media post.

“It is always inspiring to learn how different nations face challenges and to discover new ways to serve our people better,” she added.

ES, Budget, Info chiefs join in

The First Lady was accompanied by Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, Budget and Management Secretary Amenah Pangandaman, and Information and Communications Technology Secretary Henry Aguda.

The UAE was represented by Abdullah Nasser Lootah, Assistant Minister of Cabinet Affairs for Competitiveness and Experience Exchange.

Mrs. Marcos and Deputy Minister Lootah sat down to discuss ways by which the Philippines could boost the delivery of public services to its citizens.

“Thank you to H.E. Abdullah Nasser Lootah and to our DBM family for making this meaningful exchange possible,” she said.