Marcos ends trips to Brunei, Singapore

SINGAPORE — Both Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and Prime Minister Lawrence Wong have accepted President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s invitation for them to visit the country this year, the Chief Executive reported upon his return on Saturday from a four-day trip to Singapore and Brunei Darusslaam.

“[President Tharman] has already graced our invitation for him to visit and is planning a visit to our country in August. And the Prime Minister [said] he will follow as quickly as he can,’’ Marcos said in his arrival statement.

“We committed to work hard in pursuing the signing of three near-completion [memorandums of understanding] by the time the Singaporean president visits Manila later this year,’’ he added.

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Marcos and first lady Liza Araneta-Marcos arrived at 3:58 a.m. on Saturday at the Villamor Air Base in Pasay City, before the President noted the success of his state visit to Brunei and his official trip to Singapore.

Marcos and Tharman held bilateral talks before the Chief Executive’s keynote address at the 2024 Shangri-La Dialogue, organized by the International Institute of Strategic Studies, on Friday evening.

He mentioned the significant exchanges between the Philippines and Singapore in their 55 years of cooperation, particularly on people-to-people and efforts to address climate change, including the government’s bid to the Loss and Damage Fund Board.

The President also met Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonyte, members of the United States’ congressional delegation and leaders of other nations in Singapore.

In Brunei, the President noted the importance of the three agreements on tourism, maritime and agricultural cooperation that were signed during his state visit and his talks with Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah.

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Marcos said he and Bolkiah “aspired for stronger bilateral cooperation and to work together to ensure that peace and security reigns” in Southeast Asia.

He also assured the Sultan that the Philippines will support Brunei in establishing the Association of Southeast Asian Nations’ Center for Climate Change.

As with other foreign trips, Marcos and his official delegation met with businessmen and investors in Brunei to highlight opportunities in agri-business, renewable energy and halal development.

“We assured Bruneian businessmen that the Philippine government is committed to encourage foreign investors and players in the renewable sector and, in the process, continue to boost our country’s trajectory of economic, sustainable, and inclusive growth,” the President added.