A Filipino diplomat in the United States said there is a “positive momentum” in the relationship between the Philippines and the US under the administration of President Marcos.
“Since the President has assumed office, we have seen positive momentum in terms of our engagement with the U.S. in all aspects of our relations, especially in the economic cooperation, defense and security cooperation, and deeper engagement in various areas of our relations with the US,” Philippine Consul General in San Francisco Neil Frank Ferrer said on Wednesday.
Ferrer made the statement before the President’s meeting with the Filipino community in San Francisco, where he is set to attend the 30th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders’ Meeting and related activities after arriving there with First Lady Louise Araneta-Marcos.
Noting a “very vibrant community” in San Francisco and across the Bay Area, Ferrer noted that the “community is really looking forward to the visit of the President” as he won “overwhelmingly” in the consulate’s jurisdictions during the 2022 national elections.
According to him, the Filipino community in San Francisco is active in the health care, medicine, education, business, and high technology sectors, among others, adding that remittances from this community to the Philippines are the highest among those coming from the United States.
Ferrer said that Marcos’ participation in the APEC meetings and the business community is crucial to advancing the Philippines’ interests in economy, food security, energy security, clean energy, and digitalization, among others.
“The Philippines, through the participation of the President, is making a big impact, not just in terms of our bilateral relations, but more so, the broader Asia-Pacific economic region,” he added.
Marcos’ attendance at the summit serves as the third time he visited the United States since he assumed office in June 2022.
This signals a positive outlook in the two countries’ relationship, which soured during the Duterte administration because of Marcos’ predecessor’s preference for an “independent foreign policy” that built closer ties with neighboring China.
In his meeting with the Filipino community, Marcos presented the government’s efforts to uplift the lives and welfare of Filipinos both in the Philippines and abroad.
According to Ferrer, there are over 700,000 Filipino-Americans in the San Francisco Bay area alone, contributing to about 4.2 million people of Filipino descent in the United States.