Marcos' foreign trips part of PH development agenda, DFA exec says

An official from the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Friday defended the foreign trips of President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr., saying that these are part of the administration's development goals.

Marcos recently visited Australia twice for a state visit and the ASEAN-Australia Special Summit. Next week, he will leave for Berlin, Germany and Prague, Czech Republic for working visits.

"The President's international engagement is, of course, in support of his development agenda, security, economic that will redound to the benefits of our countrymen. And for Germany and the Czech Republic, the visit will focus, as we have said earlier, in strengthening partnership with like-minded countries in Europe especially the promotion of a rules-based international order," Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary Maria Elena Algabre said at a press briefing.

She believed that the trips were not a waste of government's funds.

"Hindi po. These trips are all in support of the President's development agenda for the well-being of our country and the progress of the Filipinos," Algabre said.

Since assuming the presidency on June 30, 2022 and until end-2023, Marcos went abroad 19 times—11 over the past 12 months of last year.

This year, aside from the two trips to Australia, Marcos went to Brunei to attend the wedding of Prince Abdul Mateen, Vietnam for a state visit.

Last month, the Presidential Communications Office said that 46 projects worth $14.2 billion in foreign investments have already been actualized from the trips of Marcos in various countries over the past 16 months. — VDV, GMA Integrated News