MANILA — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will raise the issue of food and energy security during the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit in Bangkok, the Department of Foreign Affairs said on Monday.

Marcos will be in Thailand from Nov. 16 to 19 to participate in APEC’s Economic Leaders Meeting, the DFA said.

“The President will be calling attention to the need to ensure food security, energy security and also the robust response of APEC economies to the challenge of climate change adaptation and mitigation,” said Foreign Affairs Asec. Eric Tamayo, who is also the Director General of the Philippines-APEC secretariat.

“On energy, we’ve seen rising prices of energy and again these are critical inputs and critical components in keeping the wheels of economy running,” he told reporters in Malacañang.

In October, Marcos said that the Philippines is open to importing oil and fertilizer from Russia even as other countries imposed sanctions against the European giant for its continued aggression against Ukraine.

Despite this earlier pronouncement, Marcos is not expected to make pronouncements regarding the Russo-Ukrainian conflict which has been one of the main causes of inflation worldwide, Tamayo said.

“The President and the Philippines have made pronouncements in the appropriate forum in our stand in Ukraine and we will focus our efforts in APEC in the economic issues that impact the region,” he said.

“Bilateral issues [between Russia and the Philippines] will not be part of the discussion in the APEC platform although in the context of the President’s advocacy on food security, reference will be made on the rising prices and inputs to food,” he said.

“It is something that each economy is concerned about: The rising inflation and how this is impacting our efforts to facilitate rapid economic recovery in the region,” he said.

Tamayo underscored that the “APEC is the most important non-binding multilateral regional engagement of the Philippines.”

APEC economies account for 85 percent of the Philippines’ total trade, around 80 percent of tourist inflows, and 68 percent of remittances to the Philippines, according to data from the DFA.

“The APEC is an opportunity for us to push for our economic agenda and priorities,” said Cheloy Garafil, officer in charge of the Office of the Press Secretary.

“These include the empowerment of our MSMEs and their inclusion in global value chains, recognition of essential role of our maritime crews and seafarers in ensuring stable and resilient supply chains, ensuring our food and energy security and climate change mitigation and adaptation,” she said.

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6 BILATERAL MEETINGS
Marcos is expected to have bilateral meetings with at least 6 heads of states on the sidelines of APEC, the DFA official said.

“The arrangements are still being finalized so I am not at liberty to disclose yet at this time which economies these are. We are still finalizing the details for this,” Tamayo said.

Among world leaders expected to attend the APEC Summit are Chinese President Xi Jinping, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Russian President Vladimir Putin, among other leaders of the organization’s 21-member economies.

“Definitely, the President will push for APEC revitalizing its role as a driver of global economic growth,” Tamayo said.

MEETING WITH INVESTORS

During his 4-day stay in Bangkok, Marcos will also be meeting with business leaders based in Thailand “in the hopes of attracting business and potential investment to the Philippines,” Tamayo said.

“It is important for us to highlight the fact that economies need to address, need to future-proof the regions in responding to these disruptions, be it coming from the pandemic and other disruptions around the globe,” he said.

“It is focused on the drivers of economies particularly in ensuring the flow and the operation of various supply chains around the globe, the critical role of essential workers, particularly our maritime crew,” he said.

Tamayo declined to say which industries may benefit from Marcos’ business meetings in Bangkok, noting that the Department of Trade and Investments is still in the process of finalizing the slate.

Marcos is also expected to meet the Filipino community in Bangkok.

The APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting this year will be the first in-person meeting since 2018 after the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted travel and physical meetings in the past few years.

The President will likewise participate in the APEC CEO Summit, which is a meeting of top business leaders in the region. He will meet with top executives of Thai companies to discuss business opportunities, investments and expansion plans.

He will also have the opportunity to meet with leaders of economies to discuss our bilateral relations and seek paths towards mutual economic benefits.

The President will also meet with his Filipino supporters in Thailand.

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