Marcos sees stronger partnership with Indonesia in the coming years

BOGOR, Indonesia - President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. is confident that the relations between the Philippines and Indonesia will remain stable in the coming years.

During Marcos' bilateral meeting with Indonesian President Joko Widodo on Monday, the Philippine leader mentioned the significance of his first visit to Jakarta, saying that the two countries are close in terms of geographical location, culture, and ethnicity.

"I think that it is going to be the strong partnerships that we will make as we slowly come out of the pandemic economy is what is going to lead us to success," Marcos said.

"That is why we go once again to our friends and to our partners around the world especially in the region, especially together [with] what we spoke about the ASEAN member countries and the common concerns that we share. So, again it’s those partnerships I believe that will keep the stability of all of our plans and what we are hoping to do in the next few years," he added.

Marcos expressed gratitude to President Jokowi for his invitation to visit the country, saying that "it feels like home."

"You’ve welcomed us so warmly and we have felt the willingness of Indonesia to go into partnership with the Philippines and to strengthen the partnership that we are going to celebrate... the 75th year in two years time and I think it is one of the longest, that diplomatic relations," Marcos said.

"We thank you once again for the openness with which you have received us, and the openness with which the willingness that you have shown to strengthen that relationship between the Philippines and Indonesia which is our hope and it is what we are going to be working for," he added.

Ceremony

President Jokowi and his wife Iriana Joko Widodo welcomed Marcos and First Lady Louise Araneta-Marcos at the Istana Bogor (Bogor Palace). The two leaders shook hands while Iriana gave flowers to Marcos' First Lady.

After the singing of the Philippine National Anthem and the Indonesia Raya, Marcos was greeted by some Indonesian officials. Marcos was wearing barong Tagalog while his wife was wearing a Filipiniana terno.

Meanwhile, Marcos also introduced to President Jokowi some of the high-ranking officials who are part of the Philippine delegation, including Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, Trade Secretary Alfredo Pascual, Ilocos Representative Ferdinand Alexander Marcos, Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo, and Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno.

After that, Marcos signed the guestbook at Indonesia's Presidential Palace.

Among the activities during Marcos' visit at the Istana Bogor include veranda talks and the tree planting in which Marcos planted Pohon Kayu Ulin.

It can be noticed that some heads of state also planted trees at Istana Bogor including leaders of Germany, Japan, China, Denmark, Timor Leste, and Australia. —KG, GMA News