Marcos hopes Pinoys abroad could come home, retire in Philippines--- By ANNA FELICIA BAJO, GMA Integrated News

WASHINGTON - President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. said Tuesday (Manila time) his government is working on measures that will ensure Filipinos who are working and staying abroad could return home and retire in the Philippines. advertisement Marcos said this during his meet and greet with the Filipino community here. The President is in the United States for a five-day official visit that aims to strengthen ties between the two countries. "It’s my hope that some of you will come home for good and retire in a much better Philippines — a Philippines with better airports, Philippines with better roads, better airports, better internet, better governance. ‘Yun ang aking pinapangarap [That is my wish]," Marcos said in his speech. "And that’s why that is what my administration is working for," Marcos added. According to Marcos, protecting the welfare of the overseas Filipino workers is a priority of his administration. "We are strongly committed to pursue the third pillar of our foreign policy, which is assistance to Filipino nationals," Marcos said. He also encouraged the children and grandchildren of Filipinos who are now residing in America to come home and visit the Philippines. "Let them see for themselves what the Philippines is about, what is our culture, what is our history. I’m sure the first and second and third generation Filipino-Americans are more than happy to learn about their proud Philippine ancestry," said Marcos. "Sooner or later, we will be able to welcome you back home to the Philippines, especially those who have reacquired their Filipino citizenship," he added. Protest Meanwhile, Marcos' time with the Filipino community was greeted with protest actions from some individuals. They chanted "Marcos is not welcome here" outside the Ritz Carlton where the President visited Filipinos. Supporters of Marcos then chanted, "BBM! BBM! BBM!"

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

PCG: China’s bullying in West Philippine Sea undermines international law --- Ghio Ong - The Philippine Star

MANILA, Philippines — Letting China sustain its aggression in the West Philippine Sea would make other countries doubt the strength of international law currently being asserted by the Philippines, Commodore Jay Tarriela of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said. “Allowing China to blatantly disregard the established rules-based order threatens the very foundation that we all depend on,” he wrote in a post on X last Tuesday. He added, “If we permit this, countries worldwide may forget why this order was created in the first place. Nations could begin to doubt the significance of adhering to international law if powerful bullies can easily violate it.” Tarriela also said defiance of other countries to a rules-based order would result in the prevalence of cruelty. He wrote, “This could lead us back to a time when might makes right, undermining the global structures that keep human greed, savagery and barbarism in check. Such a scenario would not only invite challenges from aggressive ...
Read more

Social media seen as cause of rising intermarriages --- Helen Flores - The Philippine Star

MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO) sees social media as the main reason for the rising number of Filipinos marrying or becoming partners of foreign nationals. In 2022, the CFO recorded 6,854 marriages or partnerships with foreign nationals, a 40.1 percent increase from the 4,891 “intermarriages” recorded in 2021. “First of all, what we see in the increase in the marriage rate of Filipinos or Filipinos with foreign partners is because of social media, (that) is number one; matchings; letters, introduction of their friends,” CFO chairperson Romulo Arugay said at the Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon public briefing yesterday. Arugay said the agency has been registering a high number of intermarriages since 2007, but the figures went down during the COVID-19 pandemic. From over 6,500 Filipinos who married foreign nationals, only 600 are men, he said. Most of them are married to Americans, Japanese, Germans, Canadians and Australians, Arugay said. Arugay warned Fi...
Read more

China ships maintain presence in key West Philippine Sea areas --- Michael Punongbayan - The Philippine Star

STAR / Michael Varcas MANILA, Philippines — While Chinese vessels in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) have decreased in number, they have maintained a presence in three key land features where naval and coast guard ships have intensified operations in the past seven days, according to the Philippine Navy. Latest monitoring by the Philippine Navy showed armed ships of the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) maintaining a menacing presence around the grounded BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin Shoal, Panatag Shoal and Escoda Shoal. According to the Philippine Navy, there are 17 Chinese military vessels and 28 China Coast Guard (CCG) boats spotted inside the country’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) between Sept. 23 and 30, or one vessel more than in the previous week Sept.17-23. Five of the warships were seen roaming around the vicinity of Escoda Shoal, along with 10 CCG vessels and 12 maritime militia vessels (MMVs). There are also two PLAN ships in Ayungin Shoal as well as 10 CCG boats and 12...
Read more