PRESIDENT Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on Saturday expressed their commitment to improving the welfare and addressing the needs of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).

In their bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit in Bangkok, Thailand, President Marcos took note of the Filipino diaspora that flourishes in every part of the world.

“Most people don’t find great opportunity. But that’s what happened, and we go where the work is,” Marcos told Ardern.

“The diaspora has really become a significant part of our culture,” the Chief Executive added.

Both leaders expressed readiness to empower Filipino migrant workers and enhance the capacity to respond to their needs.

Marcos and Ardern are in Bangkok for the 29th APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting which is hosted by Thailand.

In his attendance at the APEC, the Philippine leader addressed economic leaders about the need to improve climate change adaptation efforts and ensure food and energy security in the region.

The Asia-Pacific region hosts the largest segments of OFWs, with the Philippine regional trade accounting for 85 percent, providing Filipino consumers access to goods and services from the region.

PH, NZ to boost trade, security ties

Meanwhile, Marcos and Ardern have also committed to strengthen their collaboration on trade and security efforts. The two leaders made this commitment after concluding their bilateral meeting.

Both the President and the Prime Minister said they are keen on collaborating with Filipino farmers on new innovations in farming to increase sustainability and productivity.

The President also said the Philippines and New Zealand’s partnership in trade has grown “at a steady pace.”

“Our trade, our connection, has been growing at a steady pace. And we want perhaps after things open up even more and come back to what we all considered to be normal, it would increase. The population of the Philippines is growing, and the continuing need to trade,” Marcos told Ardern.

“I think that once again the best solution is just have strong partnerships. You can have slightly different positions within that — but you are members of a political aggrupation and economic aggrupation, there’s strength in numbers,” Marcos pointed out.

President Marcos also raised the need to strengthen efforts to achieve peace which, he said, is “past, present and future consideration of our initiatives.”

“Because it is a multi-lateral partnership so that’s what I think. Let’s make that very, very strong, and as long as we look after the region, [the] Asia-Pacific, we look after our interest, I really think we could weather the storm and beyond that. We cannot just set aside the effort to make the economy vibrant again,” Marcos said.

The President added: “I think we can do both. But you cannot do anything if there is no peace, and that is just the basic… If that becomes a critical issue in the sense that we are all on high alert for war, everything stops, everything stops. And here we go again.”

The road to peace, according to the Chief Executive, requires a united effort from the members of the Asia-Pacific region and the world.

“We have to be in this lifeboat together and keep at it together — that’s my view,” Marcos stressed.

In various meetings in Thailand, Marcos discussed food security, global health systems, climate change and other pressing issues concerning the Asia-Pacific region.