PRESIDENT Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. said Wednesday, September 7, 2022, that a total of $14.36 billion or P804.78 billion worth of investment pledges were secured during his state visits in Indonesia and Singapore.Marcos, who arrived in the country on Wednesday evening, said a total of 10 Letters of Intent and 12 Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in the sectors of renewable energy, data centers, e-commerce, broadband technology, start-ups, government housing, and agriculture were signed and sealed during his first trip abroad since he took office in July.He said he also witnessed the signing of several Letters of Intent and MOUs from 22 Indonesian and Singaporean investors.Among the signed agreement between the Philippines and Indonesia during Marco’s visit were the following:* Plan of Action between the Government of Republic of Indonesia and the Government of the Republic of the Philippines from 2022 to 2027;* Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of Republic of Indonesia and the Government of the Republic of the Philippines on Cultural Cooperation;* Agreement on Cooperative Activities in the Field of Defense and Security between the Government of Republic of Indonesia and the Government of the Republic of the Philippines;* Memorandum of Understanding for Cooperation in the Development and Promotion of Creative Economy between the Government of Republic of Indonesia and the Government of the Republic of the PhilippinesIn a business roundtable meeting, MOUs and Letters of Intent, including the $822 million worth of investment pledges in textiles, garments, renewable energy, satellite gateway, wire global technology, and agri-food; $7 billion in infrastructure for unsolicited private-public partnerships such as a C-5 four-level elevated expressway; and $662-million trade value for the supply of coal and fertilizer were also inked.In Singapore, the bilateral agreements signed were:* Arrangement Concerning the Assignment of a Team to the Regional Counter-Terrorism Information Facility in Singapore between the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Singapore Armed Forces;* Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in the Field of Digital Cooperation between the Department of Information and Communications Technology of the Philippines and the Ministry of Communications and Information of Singapore;* Memorandum of Understanding for collaboration on the development of New Clark City, between the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) of the Philippines and Enterprise Singapore;* Renewal of the MOU on Cooperation in Personal Data Protection between the National Privacy Commission of the Philippines and the Personal Data Protection Commission of Singapore;* Renewal of the MOU on Water Collaboration between the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System of the Philippines and the Public Utilities Board of Singapore.A joint communiqué between the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) and the Ministry of Health of Singapore on the recruitment of Filipino healthcare workers was also signed.Marcos said he and Indonesia President Joko Widodo also discussed the delimitation of boundaries respective to the continental shelves, which can become a template for resolving conflicting claims, importing fertilizers into the Philippines and increasing coal imports for our energy supply.“The visits also offered us an opportunity to exchange views with the leaders of Indonesia and Singapore on important regional and global issues that affect security in our region. We were cognizant of our roles as neighbors and partners in Asean (Association of the Southeast Asian Nation),” he said.“We all shared the view that in this time of geopolitical turmoil and uncertainty, unity, mutual respect, and the principle of sovereign equality should always prevail in our efforts to uphold peace and stability and an environment conducive to our continued national development,” he added.Marcos expressed his deepest gratitude to the Indonesian and Singaporean government for reaffirming their strong relationship and friendship to the Philippines and exploring avenues of cooperation that will benefit all of our countries.He vowed that his government will do everything to pursue the result of his first state visits, until it is felt by the ordinary Filipinos here and abroad.“Alam naman natin ito’y simula pa lamang at ito pa ang pagsasabi ng mga malalaking negosyo na mayroon silang balak na mag-invest dito sa Pilipinas,” Marcos said.“Kaya’t we look forward to doing the work, the detailed work that is necessary to bring all of these proposals to fruition. And that is what we are all now going to bend ourselves to this work. We will not stop until we can come back and say, itong mga nasimulan na MOU, itong nasimulan na Letters of Intent, ay nagkaroon na ng resulta,” he added.Marcos also thanked the Filipino communities who warmly welcomed him during his visit to the two ally countries.He expressed his “deepest appreciation” to the Filipinos abroad who “continue to inspire and motivate me to do my best as I steer our country towards development.“Ang lahat ng ito ay para sa ating mga kababayan, dito man sa Pilipinas o sa ibang bansa,” said Marcos.“Kahit na wala sila dito sa Pilipinas, sinisigurado ng ating pamahalaan na aalagaan pa rin natin sila. Our kababayans continue to be a source of pride as they demonstrate to the world that Filipinos excel at whatever endeavor they choose to undertake,” he added. (SunStar Philippines)