TINATAYANG umabot sa  P9.8 billion ang investment na  pledged na nakuha ng Pilipinas sa kamakailan lamang na pakikipagpulong ni Pangulong Ferdinand Marcos Jr. sa kapwa niya  world leaders at European business officials sa  Commemorative Summit sa pagitan ng  Association of Southeast Asian Nations at European Union (ASEAN-EU) sa Belgium.

Si Pangulong Marcos, kasama ang  Philippine delegation ay dumating na sa bansa ng alas- 6:59 ng Huwebes ng gabi, Disyembre 15 mula sa five-day trip nito.

Sa arrival speech ng Pangulo, sinabi nito na ang business roundtable ay nagsilbi bilang “important catalyst for the renewed relations” ng Pilipinas at European business communities.

Kasama ng Pangulo ang mga economic managers at  Cabinet members nang ianunsyo niya ang kamakailan lamang na “game changing laws” na naglalayong  i- transform ang business environment at suportahan ang inward foreign direct investments.

“I am also pleased to announce that European business confidence in the Philippines is high as evidenced by the expansion plans of European companies that we met in the sectors of fast moving consumer goods, ship building, renewable energy, and green metals,” ayon sa Pangulo.

“An estimated investment pledged of around P9.8 billion has been received,” dagdag na pahayag nito.

Ibinalita rin ng Pangulo na nakipagpulong siya sa ilang business leaders mula sa iba’t ibang European companies na nangako na magiging bahagi ng “Philippines’ development in the economic growth particularly in renewable energy, infrastructure, food security, and climate change initiatives.”

“With European technology and innovation with Filipino talent and ingenuity and industry we will be working in addressing some of our key economic challenges,” ayon sa Punong Ehekutibo.

Nakipagpulong din si Pangulong Marcos sa iba’t ibang  leading ship owners sa Europa.

Wika ng Pangulo, nangako ang mga ito na tutulungan ang bansa na sumunod sa  European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) standards matapos na mapuna ng European Union ang kakulangan ng Pilipinas sa local seafarer training at edukasyon

Nauna nang ipinag-utos ng Chief Executive ang paglikha ng advisory board na kinabibilangan ng mga kinatawan mula sa  government agencies, international shipowners, at iba pang  stakeholders para tugunan ang deployment concerns ng mga Filipino seafarers.

“Beyond that I was also able to meet with EU commission president Ursula von der Leyen. I explained to her what we have done that we have this new advisory council and she made a promise that the commission itself will provide technical help to us so that within the three months, we have a three months deadline, that we will be able to remedy all of the deficiencies that EMSA has been pointing out and hopefully we finally solve this problem,” ang wika ng Pangulo.

“Once again as part of Asia-Pacific region we are seeing still as coming back to our role as a driver of the global economy and the Philippines very much part of that and we are considered as an investment by the Europeans this is what they told me that we are considered by the Europeans as number two in terms of investor the attractiveness next to Vietnam so we are doing all right, but of course there is a room to grow,” dagdag na pahayag nito.

Nakipagpulong din ang Pangulo kay King Philippe ng Belgium sa Royal Palace sa Brussels, araw ng Martes.

Inimbitahan niya ito na bumisita sa Pilipinas.

Sinabi pa ni Pangulong Marcos na nagsagawa siya ng bilateral meetings kasama ang mga lider mula sa  European Commission, Estonia, Sweden  Czech Republic, The Netherlands, at Spain.

“I am delighted that my first visit to Europe in Brussels, in particular which has the seals of the European Commission, the Council of the European Union, is a success and I can see the outcomes of this visit will generate opportunities for the benefit of Filipino people,” anito.

Sa naging talumpati naman ng Pangulo sa  ASEAN EU commemorative summit, binanggit nito ang free trade agreement sa pagitan ng Pilipinas at  European Union na may layunin na baybayin ang economic recovery kasunod ng pananalasa ng  COVID-19 pandemic.

Nanawagan naman ang Pangulo ng epektibong implementasyon ng United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) sa gitna ng maritime disputes sa South China Sea.

Binanggit din ng Pangulo na mananatili sa bansa ang  independent foreign policy at hindi makikisawsaw o makiki-kampi sa anumang panig na makalilikha ng tensyon sa hanay ng mga bansa.

Sinabi ng Pangulo ang pangangailangan na “to define the damage and loss caused by climate change in seeking reparation from rich nations.”

Natuloy naman ang pakikipagpulong ng Pangulo matapos na hindi siya nakadalo sa  coffee meeting sa mga miyembro ng Philippine media dahil sa sipon. (Daris Jose)