MANILA, Philippines — Malacanang on Wednesday expressed optimism President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s state visit to Japan would yield positive results particularly in business and trade.
“The president is optimistic about the outcome of his visit to Japan. Many stakeholders and investors have shown interest in investing in our country,” Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said in Filipino in a statement.
She was reacting to a piece published on Nikkei Asia, saying the chief executive “is likely to have a more difficult time pitching Philippine investment opportunities to Japanese investors and business leaders.”
The concerns were due to “persistent tax disputes, corruption, weak infrastructure and political bickering.”
Castro insisted that the government under Marcos’ watch remained unceasing in making sweeping reforms to boost investor confidence and pour in more capital to the local market.
“We see the work of the president, the administration’s fight against corruption in the country and launching of better processes for investors — positive actions to gain investors’ trust,” she said.
The president is currently in Tokyo for a state visit. Part of his agenda are meetings with Japanese business leaders.
He, along with Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, s also expected to witness the signing of “an important agreement in trade and investment”, details of which would be released by Malacañang and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) soon.
