House Speaker Calls for “Rebuilding Old Platforms, Constructing New Bridges for Cooperation” to Address Todays’ Challenges
PASAY 02 May 2024 – House Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez underscored the importance of “rebuilding old platforms and constructing new bridges for cooperation and mutual benefit” as the way forward to address challenges in a “volatile, uncertain and complex environment” of today.
This was the gist of Speaker Romualdez’s speech at the second iteration of the Foreign Policy Address (FPA) hosted by the Department of Foreign Affairs on 23 April 2024, where he was Guest of Honor and Speaker on “New Initiatives to Grow Business in the Philippines.”
The Speaker emphasized that the House of Representatives is committed to pursue “proactive engagement and cooperation” which aligns with the foreign policy direction set by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr, captured by the principle that the Philippines is a “friend to all, enemy to none.”
Steps taken by the Philippine government to “rejuvenate and deepen international relationships,” he said, include the recent trilateral summit with the United States and Japan, the visit of Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and his “historic address” before the House of Representatives, and the successful Philippine hosting of the 31st Asia Pacific Parliamentary Forum.
The government is also working to capitalize on global opportunities to foster growth through the operationalization of the Maharlika Investment Fund and constitutional amendments to attract more investments, on top of the tax reforms already enacted and a commitment to an ambitious infrastructure development program.
As the bicameral Philippine Congress resumes its session on 29 April, Speaker Romualdez said, the “dual imperatives of national security and robust development” will be the legislative focus. “We aim to enact laws that fortify our national defense” and also expand the development agenda to include healthcare, education and digital infrastructure. END
