MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang claimed President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s travel to Singapore for the Formula 1 Grand Prix was “productive” since he deepened negotiations during his earlier official visit.
The Palace, however, was previously silent about the issue despite speculation that the President and his son Ilocos Norte Rep. Sandro Marcos flew to Singapore days after Super Typhoon Karding battered parts of Luzon.
The secretary of the activist group Bayan, Renato Reyes Jr., called the President’s trip “insensitive, unnecessary, and irresponsible” while the country was still recovering from the super typhoon and asked how much of the tax money the first family had spent.
On Monday, Press Secretary Trixie Cruz-Angeles informed that President Marcos held bilateral discussions with other participants in the event.
“Naging produktibo ang pagdalaw sa Singpore ni Pangulong Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr. Pinagpatibay niya ang mga pangunahing usapan sa huling state visit sa bayan na ito, at pinatuloy ang paghihikayat sa pag-invest sa bayang Pilipinas,” she said in a social media post with the screenshot of Singapore’s Minister for Manpower Tan See Leng’s prior post.
(The visit of President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr. was productive. He strengthened the initial discussions during his earlier state visit. He also continued to encourage businessmen to invest in the country.)
In Tan’s post, he cited that he met with Marcos and other foreign dignitaries on the sidelines of the event “to affirm bilateral economic relationships and strengthen collaborations in energy cooperation, as well as exchange views on manpower policies.”
Marcos Jr. is now back in the Philippines. He led a groundbreaking ceremony for two Metro Manila Subway stations on Monday. This marked the start of the construction project and the closing of roads in Pasig City.