MANILA – President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. said his almost week-long state visits to Germany and the Czech Republic has resulted in a total of $4 billion in investments.
During his arrival speech on Saturday afternoon, the Chief Executive bragged that the investments he secured will cover various fields such as energy, healthcare, innovation, and agriculture.
“I am glad to announce that my Germany visit resulted in business agreements for projects with an aggregate value of USD 4 billion in the sectors of renewable energy, manufacturing, healthcare, innovation and startups, IT-BPM, minerals processing, agriculture, and aerospace,” Marcos said.
The President also stated that he had a successful discussion with aviation company Lufthansa Technik, which plans to build a hangar in Clark that will cost around P8 billion, or $150 million.
“I emphasized the Philippines’ commitment to a clean energy future and invited German investments in green energy initiatives. Chancellor (Olaf) Scholz also remarked on the crucial role of our overseas Filipino workers in Germany,” Marcos said.
President Marcos further said that the country has signed separate labor agreements with the two countries. Currently, there are 35,000 Filipinos working in Germany while 7,000 are in the Czech Republic.
“I reassured our countrymen of this government’s unwavering commitment to creating more job opportunities and improving our economy, ensuring that they can return home to the Philippines, and earn livelihood without having to sacrifice their time with their loved ones,” the President said.
“Overall, I am confident that these visits to Germany and the Czech Republic have strengthened our bonds with these two countries in Central Europe and created opportunities for cooperation and prosperity,” he added.
It was last week when former President Rodrigo Duterte criticized President Marcos’ frequent overseas trips, saying that the Chief Executive is going out of the country for leisure.
President Marcos, however, shrugged off Duterte’s tirades, saying that he has no time for leisure trips during his overseas travels as his schedule was tight./PN
