MANILA -- President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Wednesday said Singapore is part of the Philippines’ journey in the larger Southeast Asia, being a strong partner at the bilateral and regional levels.

“We see our future, of the Philippines as having Singapore beside us, forging ahead to the future. Singapore—as part of our journey in maintaining political stability and economic prosperity in the region,” Marcos said in his remarks during the state luncheon at The Istana in Singapore.

The Philippines, he said, is one with Singapore in proving to the world that the strength of a country is not in its size but in the quality of people’s lives and the way it forges relations with the members of the community of nations.

With the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) becoming the strongest and most viable political aggrupation in the region, Marcos expressed optimism that Philippine-Singapore ties both bilaterally and within ASEAN will continue to grow and become even stronger in the years ahead.

“I look forward to closer ties and stronger ties between our two countries. Our candid exchange of views, constructive discussions in the governments that were signed this morning have given us renewed optimism for an even brighter future,” he said.

The Philippines and Singapore are longstanding partners, with official relations starting in 1969, although the cultural, ethnic, and trade connections may have dated back millennia.

This strong friendship was manifested Wednesday morning after an orchid was named after Marcos and the first lady.

“I can say that I have been lucky to be a recipient of many honors of different sorts around the world. But never have I had a beautiful, such a beautiful orchid named after myself and the First Lady, thank you very much,” the President said of the honor.

Singapore’s developed economy also presents a viable opportunity for thousands of Filipinos.

More than 200,000 Filipinos now work and live in Singapore and have been sending a huge amount of annual remittances to their families in the Philippines. (PND)