Marcos visits Singapore anew

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is flying to Singapore for a five-day working visit upon the invitation of Singaporean Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Lawrence Wong.

“This working visit is part of the Philippine government’s initiative to deepen ties with Singapore, expand economic engagement, and push cooperation further in various sectors that will benefit the Philippines’ economic growth,” Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary and spokesperson Analyn Ratonel said in a statement on Tuesday.

The visit comes ahead of the turnover of the ASEAN chairship to Singapore and will provide an opportunity to deepen coordination and align priorities with Singapore as it prepares to assume the regional bloc’s leadership, Ratonel said.

Emerging fields

“Our partnership with Singapore is deep, especially in trade and investment. This working visit is important to expand our partnership in emerging fields such as digital technology, green economy, smart infrastructure, AI, renewable energy and healthcare,” she said.

The visit marks Marcos’ fifth to the city-state and his 47th international trip.

The President has drawn criticism for his frequent foreign travels amid the economic hardships the Philippines faces.

“President Marcos has said that official foreign trips should be assessed based on their benefits to the country, not only on their cost. He has described these trips as investments that can attract trade and investment, create jobs, strengthen security and diplomatic ties, and promote Philippine interests abroad,” Ratonel said.

The President is also scheduled to visit the Singapore Nuclear Research and Safety Institute to observe Singapore’s work on nuclear research, safety, regulation and emerging technologies.

He will also participate in the Forbes Global CEO Conference hosted by the Singapore Economic Development Board where he is expected to promote the Philippines’ economic priorities and engage potential investors.