NEW YORK, United States — Before drawing cheers from traders inside the New York Stock Exchange, President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. was yelled at by activists who protested his visit here.
A group of protesters chanted "Never again to martial law" as Marcos was entering the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) to address an economic forum and to ring the closing bell, videos posted online showed.
He briefly looked at the activists without saying a word before proceeding to the NYSE trading floor.
While Marcos drew criticism outside the venue, he got praises from investors who attended the forum and who watched him ring the closing bell.
Sabin Aboitiz, head of the Private Sector Advisory Council, described the president as a "strong leader with a compelling vision and a political will to realize it." Traders also cheered and clapped as Marcos rang the closing bell, which marked the end of the trading day.
Marcos is here in the US to attend the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly and to meet with American investors and the Filipino community.
His official delegation is composed of First Lady Louise Araneta-Marcos, Philippine Ambassador to the US Jose Manuel Romualdez, Philippine permanent representative to the United Nations Antonio Manuel Lagdameo, House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, his sons Ilocos Norte Rep. Ferdinand Alexander Marcos III and Joseph Simon A. Marcos, Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo, Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno, Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman, Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan, Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco, Public Works Secretary Manuel Bonoan, Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista, Information and Communications Technology Secretary Ivan John Uy, Migrant Workers Secretary Susan Ople, Trade Secretary Alfredo Pascual, Presidential Management Staff chief Naida Angping, Special Assistant to the President Antonio Lagdameo, Jr., Press Secretary Trixie Cruz-Angeles and Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Felipe Medalla.