BATANGAS – Governor Dodo Mandana accompanied President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr. (PBBM) on his two-day (September 6 to 7, 2022) state visit to Singapore – as part of the official Philippine delegation.

They attended discussions with the Singapore Tourism and Economic Development, Digital Infra Establishment, and Discussion Center that were meaningful, and productive, and deepened the relationship between the two countries.

The governor wholeheartedly supported the President’s goal to strengthen economic cooperation and bilateral ties between the Philippines and Singapore.

Singapore is the second leg of Marcos Jr.’s inaugural state visit as President.

Mandanas took the opportunity to ratify several agreements and outlined programs for the province regarding tourism relations, economic development, and the modernization or establishment of digital infrastructures.

The Batangas governor, Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Secretary Alfredo Pascual, and YCH Group representatives Sardar Ahmed and Allan Maristela discussed the promotion of the plan to build a “Smart Logistics City” and “Batangas Access Zone”.

It can be recalled that the provincial government of Batangas previously signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), with the DTI and YCH Group, a well-known developer of superports and smart cities in Asia.

Batangas was chosen as the location of the said project, which is expected to strengthen the interconnectivity of the Philippines with member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

DTI Sec. Pascual also agreed and promised to support and cooperate in the development of Batangas Bay to increase the level of economic development and strengthen the country’s relationship with ASEAN.

Moreover, as a sign of the provincial government’s earnest desire to implement the project, the governor himself, together with some members of the provincial council, other officials, and heads of offices of the provincial government, went to the YCH Supply Chain City in Singapore.

Mandanas personally inspected the state-of-the-art facility, which uses various innovative technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, and advanced cold chain systems for YCH’s logistics and supply chain activities.

Mandanas said they aim to build this type of facility in Batangas to help grow the economy, especially now that the province is slowly recovering from the effects of the global health crisis caused by COVID-19.

Meanwhile, The Batangas chief executive met with Department of Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco and shared the province’s projects, including implementing continuous tourism recovery, development, and promotion initiatives.