Marcos still undecided on attending Switzerland economic forum

President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. has yet to decide if he would go to Switzerland early next year to attend the World Economic Forum.

The Office of the Press Secretary (OPS) earlier said WEF Founder and Executive Chairman Klaus Schwab has invited Marcos to attend the forum in Davos on January 16 to 20, 2023.

Marcos said Schwab had told him that they want to know and hear about the Philippines in Switzerland.

"Klaus Schwab... invited me yesterday that, we had a very early meeting, and sinasabi nga niya that we want to hear the story of the Philippines in Davos. So I am undecided yet. It's travelling too much. That's already the end of January. I'm going to China on the third," Marcos told reporters in Cambodia.

"Parang --- like my mom says, 'Kailan ka nag-oopisina?' Which is --- may dahilan din. So I haven’t decided. We'll see," he added.

Marcos will go to China for a state visit early next year upon the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Marcos bared that he also accepted several state visit invitations from other Asian leaders at the sidelines of the 40th and 41st ASEAN Summits and Related Summits. He mentioned the invitations coming from Vietnam, Brunei, and Thailand. 

"I've accepted several state visit invitations. Well, China, as you see, I said. Vietnam, Brunei. Actually lahat. Invited... kasi first time nila ako na... 'Yung iba Thailand, first nila ako makilala. So they've all invited me," Marcos said.

(All of them invited me since it was the first time that they met and know me.)

"Sabi ko, sige, basta ako naman wala akong hinihindian. Sinasabi ko lang 'yung mag-schedule tayo kung kailan libre tayo pareho. That's down the road. Siguro next year, we’ll start honoring those invitations," he added.

(I said yes because I'm not declining invitations. I'm just telling them that we put these on schedule when we are all free. Maybe next year, we'll start honoring those invitations.)

Prior to attending the ASEAN Summits in Cambodia, Marcos had state visits in Indonesia and Singapore last September. He also attended the 77th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in the United States. —KBK, GMA Integrated News