Arrival Statement by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. from his participation in the 32nd APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting

Magandang araw, mga kababayan.

We have just concluded our fruitful participation in the 2025 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Economic Leaders’ Meeting held in Gyeongju, Republic of Korea.

At this year’s gathering, I joined my fellow economic leaders in a series of productive meetings on the most pressing challenges, confronting the Asia-Pacific region.

From supply chain disruptions and climate change to persistent economic inequality, and the accelerating pace of technological transformation, I’m pleased to report that our engagements were robust, our discussions fruitful, and our shared commitment to collective action reaffirmed.

Throughout the meetings, we focused on the themes of connectivity, innovation, and prosperity, which underpin APEC’s mission to foster growth that is inclusive, resilient, and sustainable.

We saw, once again, how APEC-member economies, despite our diversity, shared common aspirations, and how strongly we resonated in our desire to move forward together.

We saw alignment in the urgency for resilient growth, inclusive prosperity, and sustainable development.

More importantly, we debated, we listened, and we laid down meaningful and action-oriented pathways for regional economic cooperation.

The key global concerns discussed revolved around the rapid deployment of AI, far-reaching demographic changes, and the flourishing of cultural and creative industries.

These topics are not only timely, but also deeply relevant to the Philippines’ vision of building a resilient, inclusive, and future-ready economy.

In light of these discussions, I had the opportunity to advance our Philippine priorities, including: One, our emphasis on the importance of narrowing the digital divide for MSMEs by equitable access to digital services and financial inclusion.

Two, advancing seamless movements of goods and people through infrastructure development.

Three, promoting supply chain resiliency amid shocks and crises.

And four, promoting digital literacy and upskilling for MSMEs, women, and other segments whose full economic potential can be realized through digitalization.

These priorities were well-received, and we worked with our partners to identify concrete ways forward, as reflected in the outcome documents adopted and concluded during the visit.

On the sidelines of the visit, I held bilateral meetings with Republic of Korea President Lee Jae Myung and Chilean President Gabriel Boric.

We reaffirmed our commitment to deepen bilateral relations between our countries, and to expand cooperation in areas of mutual interests.

I also met with top executives from Korean conglomerates, a move that reflects the growing confidence of Korean investors in the Philippines’ economic potential and policy environment.

The discussions were strategically focused on exploring partnerships in high-value sectors, such as advanced manufacturing in electronics and semiconductors, clean energy, and defense related industries.

I also witnessed the signing of a supplemental agreement between the DTI’s Philippine Economic Zone Authority and Samsung Electro-Mechanics Philippines valued at over PhP50 billion, which is expected to generate more than 3,000 new high technology jobs for Filipino engineers, and technicians.

Beyond that, they commit to the training of our people and the establishment of R&D centers, with some of our universities.

This commitment is vital as Korean FDI inflows reached 55 million dollars in the first half of 2025, reflecting strong investor confidence that this administration is seeking to translate into concrete, long term commitments.

These business meetings, organized by the Department of Trade and Industry, aim to significantly deepen economic ties, leveraging the momentum of the Philippines-Korea Free Trade Agreement, which entered into force last year.

And finally, my visit would not have been complete without connecting with our kababayans in Busan, which we had the honor of visiting.

I’m very grateful to them for their meaningful contributions, both to their communities in the Philippines, and in the Republic of Korea. Their dedication and success brings pride to every Filipino and strengthens the enduring friendship between our two nations.

I encouraged them to stay united, to collaborate with us, in building a stronger, more resilient Philippines.

Now, as we return home, let us all carry forward the momentum that we have built, translating our commitments and agreements into tangible results, forging lasting partnerships and ensuring that the Asia-Pacific region continues to thrive, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable.

Maraming salamat at magandang araw po sa inyong lahat.

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