The Philippines and the United Kingdom (UK) have expressed their intent to improve trade and people-to-people relations.
This developed during President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s meeting with UK Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Affairs David Lammy at Malacañan Palace in Manila on Saturday.
During the meeting, Marcos cited the significant increase in the number of Filipinos living and working in the UK.
“That’s a very clear indication of how strong our relations have become in many, many areas. So, I’m sure your visit will be a symbol of that strengthening relationship,” he told Lammy, as quoted by the Presidential Communications Office.
Marcos and Lammy also discussed trade and investments, maritime, climate change, and the environment.
Lammy is in the Philippines to promote the enhanced partnership between the Philippines and the UK.
The President also underscored the strong and growing relationship between the two nations and expressed gratitude for the hospitality extended to Filipinos in the UK.
About 200,000 Filipinos are in the UK, working in various sectors, including information technology (IT), aviation, hospitality and service, and health care.
The Philippines and the UK formally established diplomatic relations on July 4, 1946, and have since continued to foster strong bilateral ties.
Since 2001, there has been an increase in the number of Filipino engineers and IT experts working with British telecommunication, software, and e-commerce solutions companies.