MANILA, Philippines — President Marcos leaves today for a working visit to Germany and a state visit to the Czech Republic, where he is expected to discuss key issues with his counterparts from the two European nations and witness the signing of various deals, including on maritime and labor cooperation.
The President will be accompanied by First Lady Liza Marcos and other top government officials, including Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri and Speaker Martin Romualdez.
Marcos will be in Berlin on March 11 to 13 and in Prague on March 13 to 15 based on initial information released by Malacañang.
Also joining the Philippine delegation are Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo, Trade Secretary Alfredo Pascual, Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr., Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Secretary Cheloy Garafil and Department of Migrant Workers officer-in-charge Hans Leo Cacdac.
Marcos and the First Lady have been invited by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and by Czech President Petr Pavel, according to the PCO.
The President’s trip to the two European states follows the visits to Manila of Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala in April last year and German Federal Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock in January.
Marcos will have a meeting with Scholz in Berlin.
In Czech Republic, he will meet with Pavel, Fiala, Senate President Miloš Vystr?il and president of the Chamber of Deputies Markéta Pekarová Adamová.
At a Palace briefing last week, Assistant Secretary Maria Elena Algabre of the DFA-Office of European Affairs said Marcos will witness the signing of a joint declaration of intent, which seeks to facilitate maritime trade and mobility of Philippine and German-owned commercial vessels in Berlin.
The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority will also ink a deal on a cooperation program with the German Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training, which aims to continue TESDA-BIBB’s partnership on technical and vocational education and training or TVET.
In Prague, Marcos will witness the signing of a joint communiqué on the establishment of labor consultations mechanisms, which intends to enhance partnership between the two nations for the safe and orderly migration of Filipino workers and the provision of higher protection of their rights and welfare.
The Czech Republic is increasing its yearly quota for Filipino workers from the current 5,000 to 10,000 starting this May, Algabre said.
She said both Germany and Czech Republic are working to enhance their labor cooperation with the Philippines as a lot of European states are facing a shortage in their working population.
Algabre said the President would also meet with top business leaders in both countries to once again promote the Philippines’ “conducive” investment environment.
He will also meet with the Filipino communities there. The Philippines seeks to enhance people-to-people exchanges with both nations, Algabre said, noting that there are around 36,000 Filipinos in Germany and around 7,000 Filipinos in the Czech Republic.
The Philippines celebrated the 50th anniversary of bilateral relations with the Czech Republic last year.
The country, on the other hand, will commemorate the 70th anniversary of its diplomatic relations with Germany this year.