PRESIDENT Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Friday heaped praises on the overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) for their crucial role in painting a good picture of the Philippines.

“Napakaganda ang kanilang tingin dahil sa mga Pinoy. Ito ay dahil sa inyo, dahil sa inyong mga magandang ginagawa,” Marcos said before members of the Filipino community in Zurich, Switzerland. “Pinapaganda ninyo ang imahe ng Pilipinas sa buong mundo… Ang sisipag, kaya talagang bilib silang lahat.”

He also thanked the OFWs for their hard work and contributions to the development of the Philippine economy.

The President said he is “very appreciative” when it comes to OFWs because of their sacrifices, noting that they are helping not just their families but also the country because of their remittances, which is a huge contributing factor to the Philippine economy.

He assured OFWs that the government, through the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW), would continue to provide assistance to them.

“Itong department (DMW) na ito ay walang gagawin kundi intindihin ang kalagayan ng ating mga OFW na alam kong nagsisikap at kung minsan ay nangangailangan ng tulong,” Marcos said.

Lastly, he said Filipinos working overseas deserve praise and recognition.

“Dapat malaman ninyo kung gaano kahalaga ang ginagampanan ninyong tulong dito sa ating bansa,” he said. “Kaya kailangan ko na rin sigurong dagdagan ang pasasalamat ko, hindi lang sa inyong ginagawa, ngunit sa inyong tuluyang pagpaganda ng tingin ng buong mundo sa Pilipino.”

‘Satisfied’ with WEF participation

Meanwhile, Marcos said he is “satisfied” with his and his official delegation’s accomplishments during and on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum (WEF).

Apart from attending WEF activities, he also held a series of business meetings on the sidelines of the international forum and met with potential investors.

“Tayo naman sa Pilipinas ay dahan-dahan nating binubuksan ang ating ekonomiya. Dahan-dahan tayo ay lumalahok muli sa tinatawag na global economy. Kaya’t kailangan, magpakilala tayong muli,” he said, noting that he met with potential investors. “We are satisfied that we were able to do most, if not all, of the things that we wanted to do while we were here,” he added.

Avoiding being ‘trampled’

Marcos, in his recent interview with the Wall Street Journal on the sidelines of the WEF, said the Philippines is also avoiding being “trampled” by two competing superpowers, the United States and China, adding that his administration is “walking a fine line between them.”

“We are the grass in this situation. We don’t want to get trampled,” he said.

The Philippines, Marcos said, is in the “front line,” given that 150,000 Filipino nationals live in Taiwan and that the southern port city of Kaohsiung is 40 minutes away from the northernmost island of Batanes.

The Philippines is also in a territorial dispute with China in the South China Sea, with Beijing claiming almost the entire busy waterway.

The Philippines is also performing a balancing act, considering its bilateral ties with the US and China.

China is one of the country’s largest trading partners, while the US and the Philippines have a long-standing defense treaty.

In a separate interview with the Financial Times, Marcos confirmed he expected intensified military relations with the US, citing the possible strong presence of American troops in the Philippines.

Marcos, however, ruled out the reopening of the former US military bases in Clark and Subic, saying it was against the country’s Constitution to allow foreign bases on its soil. Philippine News Agency