PH to boost alliances – Marcos

PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Wednesday said that the Philippines will continue charting an independent foreign policy through international engagements to boost alliances and build new partnerships with like-minded nations.

In his speech during the Independence Day vin d'honneur in Malacañang, Marcos said the Philippines could further widen its engagement with other nations for the betterment of its people.

«We continue to chart an independent foreign policy in keeping with our constitutional mandate. [This] we pursue through international engagements that seek to strengthen existing alliances [and] build new partnerships with like-minded states,» he said.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Apostolic Nuncio Charles Brown share a toast during a vin d’ honneur for government officials and diplomatic corps at the Malacañang Palace on June 12, 2024. PPA POOL

«Our foreign policy is grounded on the continuing promotion and work for peace, and the continuing promotion and work for our national interest,» he added.

The President said that the Philippines has consistently supported the rule of law and the rules-based international order.

«As we continue to promote diplomacy and dialogue in our efforts to build bridges in our various multilateral advocacies — such as for peace, economic development and climate change, amongst others — we shall endeavor to enhance engagements with bilateral, regional, [and] multilateral partners, especially in areas where cooperation has not yet reached its full potential,» Marcos said.

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«With Bagong Pilipinas, it is with confidence that I say that we are engaging the world for our country and for our people,» he added.

«We look to many of our friends and allies for all the assistance they have given us. If we have met with any kind of success, that success… Your assistance has been an enormous part of that success, and for that, we thank you,» he added.

The President also honored the forefathers who fought to liberate the country, which he described as the Philippines' «proudest moment» in its storied past.

He said the struggle for Philippine independence continues to reverberate to this day, not against colonial oppression