BALIK-PINAS na si Pangulong Ferdinand  Marcos Jr.   mula sa Cambodia  matapos dumalo sa matagumpay na 40th at 41st Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summits.

Si Pangulong Marcos, kasama ang ilang  Cabinet members at iba pang delegado ay lumapag sa Pasay City, dakong alas-12:14 ng umaga, araw ng Lunes, Nobyembre 14.

Sinalubong naman siya ni Vice President Sara Duterte bago pa tumuloy sa Bulwagang Kalayaan para sa  arrival ceremony.

Bago pa lumipad pabalik ng Pilipinas, ibinahagi ni Pangulong Marcos ang pakikipagpulong niya sa Filipino community sa Cambodia— ang huling  event ng kanyang four-day trip.

“I was honored to meet them, and I thanked them for their efforts and contribution to our nation’s progress and development— as well as that of Cambodia’s because they have been lauded as part of the reconstruction of Cambodia. They play a very large part,” ayon sa Chief Executive sa kanyang arrival speech.

“And of course, I was able to update them on what’s happening in our country right now, and the programs and policies of my administration,” aniya pa rin.

Tinuran pa ng Pangulo, ang kanyang kauna-unahang partisipasyon sa  ASEAN summit bilang Pangulo ng bansa ay “very successful”.

Naipahayag aniya niya ang  interest ng Pilipinas “and our commitment to working with ASEAN and our Dialogue Partners to find common ground to address the issues affecting our region and to strengthen cooperation.”

“We also got the opportunity to put forward our position, our plans and find ways where we can help each other and coordinate,” lahad nito.

Kabilang aniya sa mga lider kung saan nagkaroon siya ng bilateral discussions ay sina Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen,  Sultan of Brunei,  President of the Republic of Korea, Prime Minister of Vietnam, at Prime Minister of Canada.

“In these meetings, we discussed how we can deepen cooperation in key areas and exchanged views on important regional and global issues,” paliwanag ng Pangulo.

Nagpartisipa rin aniya sya sa  related summits kung saan pinag-usapan ang  ASEAN community-building efforts at regional issues, at concerns, kabilang na ang situwasyon sa Myanmar,  mga kaganapan sa South China Sea, Ukraine crisis, aplikasyon ng Timor-Leste para sa  ASEAN membership, at iba pa.

Ayon sa Pangulo,  ang pagpapalitan ng pananaw sa  regional at international issues  habang isinagawa ang  summits  ang naging daan para humantong sa  “exploration of possible new areas of cooperation with some of the dialogue partners.”

“We also held Summits with some of ASEAN’s Dialogue Partners — they don’t necessarily belong to SEA or Asia but we consult with them like US, AUS, NZ, Canada. We had special sessions just for them and reviewed the progress of our relations so far, in the initiatives and projects under the ASEAN-led mechanisms,” aniya pa rin.

“We participated in a global dialogue this morning with regional and international organizations and discussed collaborative efforts on a comprehensive post-COVID-19 economic recovery,” wika ng Pangulo.

Sinabi pa ng Punong Ehekutibo na ‘struggling” din ang ibang  ASEAN countries  sa kahalintulad ng problema na kinahaharap ng Pilipinas.

“There was a very large area of consensus among ASEAN member states. Pare-pareho sa atin yung food supply, presyo ng fertilizer, langis, supply side problems, pareho satin,”  ayon sa Pangulo.

Ang food security ay kabilang sa “most pressing issues” ani Pangulong Marcos.

“We constantly came back to the subject of food security to see where the private sector can contribute to ensure we have sufficient food supply [with] prices ordinary Filipinos can afford,” aniya  pa rin.

Sa kabilang dako, ipinaliwanag naman ni Pangulong Marcos na ang  “most important takeaway”  sa panahon ng ASEAN summit ay ang pangangailangan ng  “neighboring nations” na tulungan ang isa’t isa.

“Nagkakaunawan lahat na member states na hindi kaya mag-isa. Kailangan sama-sama mag tulungan,” ayon sa Punong Ehekutibo.

“There is a chance to exchange views like we do. There is a very clear way— It is an opportunity for member states and our dialogue partners na kausap sa labas ng Asia. Gives a very good idea where things stand and what is the concern and the situation in other places and all that,” giit nito.

Maliban sa  state heads, nakapulong din ng Pangulo ang Cambodia business leaders sa isang CEO Roundtable na inorganisa ng Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).

“We are nurturing our relationship with these business leaders as they can open doors for our SMEs to participate in the growing Cambodian market,” ayon sa Pangulo.

“I also invited these business leaders to come visit and have a look at the opportunities in the Philippines that are arising from the process of transforming the economy, given that it seems our direction for post-pandemic recovery is bearing fruit,” aniya pa rin.

Samantala, kabilang naman sa naging paksa na napag-usapan sa pagsasama-sama ng  iba’t ibang sektor ay ang “food processing, energy, low-cost housing, medical care, manufacture of garments and bags, education, and training.” (Daris Jose)