Toast Remarks by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. at the Vin D’Honneur

Thank you.

Allow me to greet first of all the House Speaker Faustino Dy III; Senate President Pro Tem Sherwin Gatchalian; Foreign Affairs Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro;

the Dean of the Diplomatic Corps, and Apostolic Nuncio to the Philippines, The Most Reverend

Charles Brown, and of course, Your Excellencies of the Diplomatic Corps; and First Lady Louise Araneta-Marcos; my fellow workers in government; honorable guests; ladies and gentlemen.

Good evening and welcome once again to Malacañan Palace.

On behalf of the Filipino people and the government of the Republic of the Philippines, I warmly welcome you here tonight to celebrate the 128th Anniversary of the Proclamation of Philippine Independence.

One hundred twenty-eight years ago today, our ancestors unfurled the Philippine flag. We sang our anthem and declared the birth of our independent, sovereign, and peace-loving nation.

We emerged from the rubble of revolution determined to build a nation that upholds justice, promotes equality,

and plays a constructive role in the community of nations.

That same strength of will, national pride, and dignity

empowers our nation today as we face a multitude of challenges, both domestic and global.

In the work of nation-building, we find that much of the strength we need comes from our deep, enduring friendship with the countries that you represent.

My meetings with fellow leaders during my four years of administration provided an excellent opportunity to bolster our bilateral ties across many sectors, foster closer people-to-people relations, develop closer cooperation on new and emerging issues of mutual concern, all in pursuit of shared peace, progress, and prosperity.

As an integral part of widening our diplomatic footprint, I am very pleased to announce that this year we will open our new embassies in Astana, Kazakhstan, and Accra, Ghana.

We are also working on establishing our new Consulate General in Miami, Florida, to serve Filipinos in the U.S., Southeast, and in the Caribbean.

These new missions provide vital, accessible consular services to protect our nationals overseas.

They will serve as a gateway to unlock fresh economic cooperation, cultural exchanges, and stronger political relations with our host countries.

Excellencies, this year, the eyes of the world are on the Philippines as Chair of ASEAN.

Last month, I had the distinct honor of welcoming our ASEAN family to Cebu for the 48th ASEAN Summit.

Amid profound global uncertainties and shifting geopolitical winds, our ASEAN community responded

with unity, wisdom, resolve, and we continue to favor closer integration and cooperation amidst this increasingly fractured geostrategic environment.

We emphasized the importance of strengthening cooperation, particularly in the maritime sphere, with the adoption of ASEAN Maritime Leaders’ Declaration at the Summit, which reaffirms ASEAN’s collective commitment to advancing maritime cooperation and highlights the multidimensional nature of maritime issues.

At the Summit, our discussions focused intensely on translating three core priorities into actionable, concrete, and practical cooperation namely: ensuring regional energy security and resilience, stabilizing food security, and the safety of ASEAN nationals.

I look forward to welcoming my fellow heads of state and government from our dialogue partners at our summit in November, which serves as another opportunity to build on these discussions, reaffirm ASEAN centrality, deepen our cooperation, and chart the way forward.

We also look forward to the Philippines’ hosting of the commemorative activity for the 50th Anniversary of the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia on the 24th of July and to reaffirm our collective commitment to the principles of the TAC – mutual respect, non-interference in internal affairs, the peaceful settlement of disputes, the renunciation of the threat or use of force, and effective cooperation.

Our abiding commitment to these, to multilateralism, and the principles of the United Nations Charter remain steadfast and unwavering.

As we have always done, as a founding member of the United Nations, the Philippines will work with all nations in pursuing peace, stability, sustainable development, and a rules-based international order.

These we will always uphold and advance in the global community.

Excellencies, on behalf of all Filipinos, I wish to express my deep appreciation to all of you, the members of the Diplomatic Corps, for your continued friendship and engagement with the Philippines.

Thank you especially for your support and goodwill to the Philippines throughout our candidacy to the UN Security Council.

We value your support, cooperation, and contribution to advancing our mutually beneficial cooperation with your respective countries and working with us to chart the path forward.

On this note, I invite everyone to raise your glasses and join me in a toast.

To the excellent health, long life, and happiness of the esteemed members of the Diplomatic Corps.

To the enduring peace, resilience, and prosperity of our respective nations.

And to the continuing depth, warmth, and lifelong friendship between the Philippines and the global community.

Mabuhay!

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