By Prince Golez
Malacañang on Monday described as “very productive” President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s first state visit to Indonesia.
“Well, it was very productive, extremely so because the President did not expect that the talks between him and President Widodo would progress so rapidly in such a short time,” Press Secretary Trixie Cruz-Angeles said in a press briefing.
Four agreements on creative economy, culture, and defense and were signed during Marcos Jr.’s three-day visit to Jakarata.
These are as follows:
* Plan of Action between the Government of the Republic of Indonesia and the Government of the Republic of the Philippines from 2022 to 2027, presented by Minister for Foreign Affairs Retno Marsudi and DFA Secretary Enrique Manalo
* Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of the Republic of Indonesia and the Government of the Republic of the Philippines on Cultural Cooperation, presented by Minister for Foreign Affairs Retno Marsudi and DFA Secretary Enrique Manalo
* Agreement on Cooperative Activities in the Field of Defense and Security between the Government of the Republic of Indonesia and the Government of the Republic of the Philippines, presented by the Minister of Defense Prabowo Subianto and Senior Undersecretary of the Department of Defense Jose Faustino Jr.; and
* Memorandum of Understanding for Cooperation in the Development and Promotion of the Creative Economy between the Government of the Republic of Indonesia and the Government of the Republic of the Philippines, presented by Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy Sandiaga Uno and DTI Secretary Alfredo Pascual
In a press statement at the Bogor Presidential Palace in West Java, Marcos Jr. and Indonesian President Joko Widodo agreed that the Association of Southeast Asian Nations is a “lead agent” in bringing peace amid global issues.
The regional bloc’s role in the regional security architecture is vital to attaining peace and security, the Chief Executive said.
The two presidents also decided to organize task forces “at the technical level” to take advantage of the opportunities for both Manila and Jakarta.
For his part, Widodo underscored the importance of bolstering ASEAN centrality and unity.
“Indonesia wishes to ensure that ASEAN remains an engine of peace, stability, peace, and prosperity in the region. ASEAN must be able to address the challenges ahead and strengthen respect for the ASEAN Charter,” according to him.
He also stressed the importance of implementing the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific through concrete and inclusive cooperation to strengthen ASEAN centrality.
On Sunday, Marcos Jr. met with the Filipino community at the Fairmont Jakarta Hotel where he pledged to make the Philippines more conducive to investments to ensure job opportunities for Filipinos.
He also assured overseas Filipino workers that they are part of his administration’s priority and thanked them for their sacrifices.
