Speech by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. at the Joint Press Conference with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet

Samdech Moha Borvor Thipadei Hun Manet, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Cambodia;

Distinguished members of the Philippine and Cambodian delegations;

Our friends from the media;

A pleasant day to you all.

Let me express, first of all, my sincere gratitude to the Kingdom of Cambodia, its government and its people, for the warm welcome and gracious hospitality that has been extended to me and the entire Philippine delegation.

Cambodia is a country with which the Philippines share centuries of civilizational and cultural bonds.

I am deeply honored to carry with me the goodwill and friendship of the Filipino nation on this State Visit.

Our meeting today involved a wide-ranging discussion on how our countries can effectively improve in meaningful and impactful ways the lives of our peoples.

We recognized that the growth and resilience of our economies depends on opening new avenues of cooperation, expanding opportunities in trade, agriculture, renewable energy, and the digital economy.

By broadening these linkages, we give our peoples more opportunities. We also ensure that our region is less vulnerable to the effects of external uncertainties.

In this endeavor, I wish to emphasize that the Philippines stands as a steadfast partner in opening new avenues for collaboration and strengthen the ties in areas that matter most to Filipinos and Cambodians alike.

We also acknowledged the pressing challenges across borders: human trafficking, cybercrime, illicit drugs, and other transnational threats. These dangers affect the safety of our citizens and the stability of our societies.

It is in this spirit that we agreed to strengthen collaboration among our law enforcement and security institutions so that our collective response will be swift, coordinated, and effective.

We also emphasized the importance of strengthening ties between our peoples with the hope of facilitating more seamless and frequent travel between our two countries.

There are more than 7,000 working Filipinos in Cambodia contributing mainly in the health, education, and development sectors of the country.

They are a wonderful bridge between our two countries and cultures. And in turn, we welcome the appreciation of Cambodians for Philippine culture, education, and enterprise.

We are excited to see even more exchanges and visits between our two peoples.

As fellow ASEAN Member States, we share the duty of safeguarding ASEAN centrality and unity amid regional and global challenges.

I deeply appreciate Cambodia’s steadfast support for the Philippines as we prepare to assume the Chairship of ASEAN in 2026, as well as for our bid for a non-permanent seat at the United Nations Security Council.

Our discussions today signals a new phase in the partnership between the Philippines and Cambodia. One that embraces greater economic opportunities, deeper cooperation on matters of security, and the common resolve to uphold peace and stability in our region.

Thank you.

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