Good afternoon. The Speaker and the Vice President canoodling is always a very good sign. [laughter and applause] [Please, please take your seats.]

Thank you, Executive Secretary, Secretary Lucas Bersamin; Vice President Sara; the members of the Cabinet that are here with us and those of course who will also be accompanying the delegation going to Malaysia; our First Lady Louise Araneta-Marcos;   the Pasay District Representative Antonino Calixto and, of course, Pasay City Mayor Imelda Calixto-Rubiano; our newly installed AFP Chief of Staff General Romeo Brawner Jr. and the Major Service Commanders; Philippine National Police General Benjie Acorda Jr.; Philippine Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Artemio Abu; my fellow workers in government; ladies and gentlemen, good afternoon.

Today, we leave to undertake a State Visit to Malaysia upon the gracious invitation of the King of Malaysia, His Majesty Al-Sultan Abdullah.

Building on the successful visit of Malaysian Prime Minister Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim to the Philippines in March 2023, I believe that this is an opportune time to harness the potentials of a revitalized relationship between the Philippines and Malaysia.

The Philippines and Malaysia have long enjoyed close economic ties supported by strong bilateral ties stretching back for decades.

Building on past successes, this State Visit to Malaysia aims to identify new areas of synergies that can propel our partnership and serve as a roadmap for our respective agencies to  work on for the mutual benefit of both our countries and the peoples of the new century.

During this visit, I will have an audience with His Majesty the King of Malaysia, where we will discuss how we can further deepen our partnerships through new areas of mutual interest. I will also meet with His Excellency Prime Minister Anwar to pursue areas of cooperation in our agreed priority areas that are aligned with our countries’ respective economic agenda.

In order to assist our nation’s trajectory of economic growth and to meet our economic target of 6.4% year-on-year GDP growth this year, my visit will focus on the renewed partnerships in the fields of agriculture and food security, digital economy, tourism, and people-to-people exchanges, as well as explore new avenues for cooperation, particularly in areas of the Halal Industry and Islamic banking.

The Halal Industry is expected to grow to a trillion-dollar industry in the international market as its global demand continues to expand. Malaysia is one of the global leaders in this sector, and this visit aims to forge synergies with Malaysia for the Philippines to enjoy a share of this market.

Given the multitude of sectors for economic cooperation with Malaysia, I will be meeting with Malaysian business leaders as well to showcase trade and investment opportunities.

I hope that through the investment forum, roundtable discussions, and business meetings organized by the Department of Trade and Industry, we will build new bridges between our economies and create inroads to new ventures that will see our bilateral trade volumes and investments increase.

And this brings me to my next point.

Malaysia is a host to a thriving Filipino diaspora, many of whom left their families to find work and live in Malaysia.

I will be meeting our hardworking kababayans in Malaysia to personally show the nation’s care and protection and reassure them that the government is continuously working to ensure their safety and well-being.

It is also my belief that through the investments we bring in from my various foreign visits, soon, our kababayans will no longer be forced to work abroad but will have a choice to come home and find suitable work in the Philippines so that they may be reunited with their families.

I am optimistic that this State Visit will nurture the foundations of a revitalized and stronger Philippines-Malaysia cooperation ahead of the celebration of our six decades of formal diplomatic relations in 2024.

Maraming salamat po at mabuhay ang Pilipinas! [applause]

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Watch here: Departure for State Visit to Malaysia

Location: Maharlika in Villamor Air Base in Pasay City