PH looks forward to elevating labor deals with Palau

The Philippine government is looking forward to discussing steps with Palau in order to elevate labor agreements between the two countries, President Ferdinand ''Bongbong'' Marcos Jr. said Monday.

''Our long history of mutual support has remained a cornerstone of our bilateral relationship to this day. With Filipinos making up a significant percentage – I understand it’s now 25 percent. We are a good Catholic country. You know, we believe in multiplying. Their contributions to Palau’s economy and society highlight the benefits of our long-standing people-to-people ties,'' Marcos said during his bilateral talk with Palau President Surangel Whipps Jr.

''So, in this regard, the Philippines looks forward to discussing concrete steps to advance our negotiations on bilateral labor agreements and the social security agreement with the hope that both agreements will be concluded within the year,'' Whipps added.

Whipps is in the Philippines for a two-day official visit.

Marcos mentioned that his administration had launched the Philippine Pacific Initiative to establish focused cooperation with the Pacific in the areas of health, food security, labor mobility, and disaster risk resilience mitigation and management.

He said this was a significant step towards a greater collaboration with Manila's Pacific kin.

''With bilateral health agreements on the horizon with various Pacific island countries including, of course, Palau, we are positive that they will yield more exchanges between our healthcare workers and ultimately greater health resilience in our region,'' Marcos said.

The Philippine president is also hopeful about expanding engagements in practical and impactful ways from agriculture and fisheries to development and technical cooperation.

For his part, Whipps said he is grateful for the presence of Filipinos in Palau for their contribution in the country.

''We are grateful for all that they do in the development of our young nation, from engineers to doctors to accountants to nurses, and helping us in the tourism sector, and of course, most importantly, construction and helping us build our bridges and our hotels and everything else,'' Whipps said.

Whipps also lauded the Philippines for being the host of the Loss and Damage Fund to address the impacts of climate change. — RSJ, GMA Integrated News