Marcos sees 'great potential' in PH-Hawaii trade ties

President Ferdinand ''Bongbong'' Marcos Jr. expressed optimism on Thursday about the future of trade ties between the Philippines and Hawaii. 

Marcos made the remark during the courtesy call of members of the Filipino Chamber of Commerce of Honolulu and the Honolulu City Council Trade Mission. 

''Now on to the trade missions that you have been conducting and the possibilities that you have been exploring in terms of strengthening the economic ties and trade ties between Hawaii specifically and the Philippines... I think there is a great deal of potential there, as there are so many similarities in terms of what is needed and what needs to be done in terms of the state of Hawaii and in specific areas of the Philippines,'' Marcos said in his speech. 

''It is very important that we in this administration have really done all we can to encourage the strengthening of those exchanges because we consider it very, very important,'' the President added. 

Marcos reiterated that Hawaii, including its people, holds a special place in his heart.

''It is on a more personal, intimate level; the kindnesses that we were shown in difficult circumstances are something that we will be forever grateful for and that we will never forget,'' he said. 

Marcos, together with the late President Ferdinand Marcos Sr., former First Lady Imelda Marcos, and his siblings, fled to Honolulu on a US Air Force aircraft after the EDSA People Power Revolution that removed the elder Marcos from Malacañang. 

In November last year, Marcos went back to Hawaii and expressed his gratitude to the Filipino community that helped his family during their exile in the US state.  —VBL, GMA Integrated News