MANILA -- President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Monday said the return of investment (ROI) would serve as the primary gauge to calculate the benefit the Philippines will get in relation to the cost of his recent travels.

The President made this remark in an interview when asked about the “gains” the Filipino people would have in his previous foreign travels.

“Let’s say we get actual out of that one billion, bawing-bawi lahat ng eight trips. Finished. That’s the idea. And we did not only go to China. We went to Davos. We went to the EU (European Union), we went to ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations), we went to APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation). So in each of those, many pledges were signed,” the President told the press.

A high return on investment, according to the President, means that the gains compare favorably to its cost.

“Now, the measure of success will be, you know, cost-benefit, very simple. How much effort did you put into it? It’s not just the money. It’s the time that you put into it. It’s the time and the effort that goes into,” the President pointed out.”

The official delegation in his trips includes himself and the Cabinet members, the President pointed out, stressing the need to maximize efforts in sealing crucial partnerships and deals with international partners.

“Actually the official delegation is just myself and the Cabinet ministers, then they have staff. So, the rest are security. And the others that have been accompanying me are actually private sector. They don’t actually fly with me. They go there on their own,” the President explained.

According to the chief executive, only one successfully signed memorandum of understanding (MOU) is enough to make all the previous trips worth it.

“As I’m saying, if we get just one of the MOUs, isa lang; napakahina naman natin if isa lang ang makuha natin. Hindi namin ginagawa trabaho namin kung isa lang makukuha natin. But sabihin na lang natin, isa lang ang makuha natin. Bawi na lahat nung trip ko,” the President said.