Joint Press Conference of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and His Excellency Frank-Walter Steinmeier, President of the Federal Republic of Germany

Q: President Marcos, on skilled labor migration. This is an important topic for Germany, you also spoke about this. Do you also have concerns about brain drain because there are disadvantages? [Sorry I’m here.] On Steinmeier [speaks in German] …[Translation: …say to these people? Why should they come to Germany? Why should that be a good thing for them to do?]

PRESIDENT MARCOS: Well, I think the first point that I would make is to point to the experience of already our nationals who are in Germany and who have made a good life for themselves

They have identified opportunities in Germany. They have taken the big step of actually moving there. And all the feedback that we get is that it is a good place to live and work. They certainly have assimilated very easily into everyday society. And that’s always a very important part of it.

And so despite the fact that they have – of course try to visit back home as much as possible. They are very comfortable in every way while they’re staying in Germany.

And since we have Filipinos everywhere, we know some of the difficulties that other people, our nationals, suffer in other places. That’s certainly not the case with Germany.

So the opportunities are there, and it is a stable and orderly society, and that makes for a good place not only to work and live, but even to raise a family, as many of them have.

And that, I think, will be the best point to make, to show the experience of our nationals as to why the experience, the German working experience in Germany is a good one.

PRESIDENT STEINMEIER: I addressed that issue in my exchange with the President, pointing out that we have a long tradition with Philippines skilled labor. And that the Philippines too have a long tradition with migration, labor migration.

And I asked him whether Germany should have to speak out more openly, make its case for attracting skilled labor from the Philippines.

And he said that the 40 or 45,000 Filipinos who already live and work in Germany are doing that on behalf of Germany.

They’re making the case for picking up a job in Germany because they say that the working conditions there are better than in many other parts of the world, that their security is provided for, that they feel safe personally.

So we don’t really have to engage in greater advertising for Germany as such a location.

During our recent visits over the last few years, we have focused on educating people about the mechanisms that are there, what Germany is doing, in order to facilitate and speed up the decision-making process.

Q: Good afternoon, Your Excellencies. I want to start with the United States and Iran have announced and signed a ceasefire agreement to end the war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a development many are calling a diplomatic breakthrough. First, I want to ask your reaction on this agreement? And do you believe that it offers any lessons for managing tensions and preventing escalations, for example, in other strategic flashpoints, like in the South China Sea and the war in Ukraine? To both President Marcos and President Steinmeier.

PRESIDENT STEINMEIER: Every step in the direction of ending the fighting is the right step.

We both therefore hope that we will see an actual agreement, not only a signing of a document, but that we will see an ending of the fighting and an end to the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.

It is urgently necessary for the Strait of Hormuz to be opened. We talked about this earlier. This is not about abstract figures or not only about abstract economic figures with regard to the Strait of Hormuz, it is the lives of hundreds of thousands of people that are affected, the food prices, the prices of fertilizers, reduced harvest in the coming years as a consequence of that.

Therefore, both of us hope that this is a step towards ending the fighting and towards the opening of the Strait of Hormuz. Hopefully also to the opening of peaceful talks with the objective of bringing about peace in the region.

PRESIDENT MARCOS: Yes, well, first of all, I would like to agree with the observation of President Steinmeier.

Any step towards peace is a good step and that is hopefully what we are observing here.

We heard the news a couple of days past that there has been an agreement that has been arrived at, at least on the basis of that agreement that the Strait of Horm – the fighting immediately will stop, the blockade of the United States will be withdrawn, and the Strait of Hormuz will be opened. The freedom of navigation will once more return to the Strait of Hormuz.

That is what we have been hoping for since the day after the war started.

The President has outlined some of the effects that Germany is feeling and the effects of that war. And although we are affected differently, Germany and the Philippines, we are both feeling that there is very much a crisis.

And the effects on Germany and the Philippines are reflected in every country around the world. And this kind of instability makes life difficult for our own people.

And therefore, we await with bated breath the actual finalization of that agreement

Again, it is some of the best news that we could hope for if indeed it comes to fruition

That is what we are looking forward to. But we still will feel – because of the enormity of the problem, of the instability that this war has caused – it’s inevitable that it will take some time for us to adjust back to what will be the new normal.

So we, of course, are always cautiously optimistic.

We have unfortunately heard these proclamations before, and they have not come true.

But we’re hoping that this one is the one that will come true. And that we will start to once again bring our economies to a normal state and be able to support our people properly, and without suffering the vagaries of price rises that come with such a petroleum crisis.

So we hope, we pray that this is the case, that it is over, the war is over, and it will be a lasting peace.

Q: Thank you. My question goes to President Marcos. You just spoke about investments and trade in the Philippines for enterprises. It is important that they have security and no corruption. And my question is how serious is the fight against corruption in the Philippines?

PRESIDENT MARCOS: How serious is?

Q: The fight against corruption in the Philippines?

PRESIDENT MARCOS: Oh, as serious as it can get.

Every government — not every government… Every entity, every business entity, every government feels the corrosive influence of corruption.

This completely changes the way government can work.

And it limits governments to such an extent that many of the things that are – never mind that are wished for, but that are necessary for services to the people are not – government is unable to deliver.

And that’s how important that is. That’s how important the effects of corruption are. And that’s why in this anti-corruption drive that we have – that I have started, there was no way to do it easily or painlessly.

We had to turn everything on its head and to make very, very clear that these abusive practices that we had to suffer from before will no longer be allowed.

And to find how did this system get so destroyed? How did we get to this point? We have to discover that so we don’t go and do it again and make the same mistakes.

And so that’s how… We have to find those who are found to be part of this system of corruption, that they will be punished, and that they will provide restitution to the Filipino people.

Because what they have taken is not my money or your money or a company’s money. It’s the money from the people.

And that is the worst sin of all as far as I’m concerned.

It’s the worst form of corruption as far as I’m concerned.

And so, yes, there could not be a more serious subject in the discussions in my government right now.

Q: Good afternoon, Excellencies. Correction, it’s from Malaya Business Insights. Anyways, my question is about a possible visiting forces agreement between the Philippines and Germany. Was it taken up during your meeting earlier, and how important is it for both countries? Is there any target date to realize this arrangement?

PRESIDENT MARCOS: I think that the Germany… Yes, they seem to have made the arrangement that was done upon the request of the President and the First Lady of Germany and was arranged for by the First Lady because she is of that… Huh?

Q: Sir, visiting forces agreement, sir? VFA, sir?

PRESIDENT MARCOS: Oh, I’m sorry. I thought I heard something else entirely. My hearing is not what it used to be.

Q: Sir, is there a possible visiting forces agreement like arrangement between the Philippines and Germany?

PRESIDENT MARCOS: Oh, okay. Now I understand what you’re saying. I’m sorry.

Well, why not? We probably, in reality, we’re still a long way off of that.

But we are actually increasing our engagements, especially in the military and in the defense and the security areas.

And perhaps when the time comes, certainly that would be something that the Philippines will be very, very open to. I cannot see any disadvantage to that.

With the volatility that is happening in the geopolitical world right now, the best path to stability is to have partnerships, is to have a wide base of alliances.

Because not any one country can now influence or change or direct the way the world is working. And so we have to achieve two almost contrary aspirations: one, is to be stable and strong; and two, to be agile at the same time.

It’s not an easy trick but it’s something that we have to achieve. But multilateralism is a very, very important part of that.

The world is so deeply interconnected as we have always seen. Covid I think was the first illustration of that in a very real sense. How quickly the world will react or will begin to stutter and sputter when there is a problem

such as that.

So yes, if the VFA, if we came to an agreement and we feel that it is time to have it, the Philippines would certainly entertain that possibility very warmly.

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