President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. will use his first Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) message to discuss food and energy security and solutions for climate issues.
In a press briefing, Eric Tamayo, assistant secretary for international economic affairs of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), said Marcos Jr. will talk about the topics with the effects of the pandemic in mind.
“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,” Tamayo said.
“If you may recall, prior to the pandemic, the Asia-Pacific Region had been the significant driver of global economic growth…This economic growth trajectory was disrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic,” he added.
The president is expected to meet with six heads of state during the APEC meet.
He will be joined by Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo and Trade Secretary Alfredo Pascual.
The APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting, which will be held on from Nov. 16 to 19, will be Marcos Jr.’s first as president of the Philippines. John Ezekiel J. Hirro