Geline Salac

Marcos Jr. to launch 'strategic partnership' with India, to sign 'social security deal'

Article (news)

Harlene Delgado

ABS-CBN News

The Philippines and India will take its relations to the next level, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said Monday as he began his five-day state visit in the South Asian country with the fourth largest economy in the world. Speaking before the Filipino community in India, the President provided an early look at the upcoming bilateral meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the second day of his visit. “But tomorrow, this relationship is going to receive a major boost, a major upgrade, as Prime Minister Modi and I inaugurate a Strategic Partnership between the Philippines and India,” he said before the Filipino community in India at a gathering at the Taj Mahal Hotel in News Delhi Monday, August 4.“This means that from now on, our cooperation will intensify further and become even more impactful – in many, many areas that we have not explored with India before such as defense, trade and investment, health, tourism, and other areas,” he added. Marcos Jr. also touted before the Filipinos in India his administration’s economic targets, saying that the Philippine economy “continues to be on the ascent” despite remaining challenges.“Data bears this out: our beloved Philippines is one of the fastest growing economies in ASEAN. In the first quarter, we grew 5.4 percent,” he noted.  “We are working towards attaining 6 percent for this entire year of 2025,” the President said. Just like in his previous State of the Nation Address, he also mentioned the infrastructure program of his administration and support to overseas Filipinos workers. <div>INVEST MORE</div>Marcos Jr. also highlighted that his administration has been “laser-focused” on job and livelihood generation while working with the private sector. “In the coming days, our delegation will be engaging not only the government of Prime Minister Modi, but also India’s biggest enterprises. We would like to see them invest more and generate more jobs back home,” he said. The President is scheduled to meet with several companies in New Delhi and Bangalore dubbed as the “Silicon Valley of India”.<div>BOOSTING TOURISM</div>As the Philippines forges stronger ties with India, the chief executive also took note of some government initiatives in “bridging and facilitating travel and people-to-people ties” between the two countries which include the launching of e-Visa and visa-free entry scheme for Indian tourists up to 14 days.“These will be complemented soon by the recovery of direct flights, led by Air India,” he said. Air India will begin offering its Manila-Delhi flights five days a week beginning October 1. “We are determined to expand this to other air carriers and to link other cities between the Philippines and India,” Marcos Jr. stated.<div>SOCIAL SECURITY AGREEMENT</div>The President also announced before the Filipino community in India that a &quot;Social Security Agreement&quot; between Philippines and India will be signed during his visit. This, as he vowed that his administration is committed to ensure the welfare of Filipinos in India. “Even as we do not have a Migrant Workers Office or MWO in India, your welfare and rights are steadfastly looked after by our government through our Embassy, with the assistance of our Honorary Consulates General in Chennai, Mumbai, and Kolkata,” he said.“You will be pleased to know that, as part of this visit, we will also sign the Social Security Agreement between Philippines and India,” Marcos Jr. disclosed without elaborating further details.There are 2,000 Filipinos in India, according to Philippine Ambassador to India Josel Ignacio, with 200 mostly in India’s capital, New Delhi.<div><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/L2plOoWIN-s?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe> </div>

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said that the Philippines and India will take its relations to the next level as he began his five-day state visit in the South Asian country with the fourth largest economy in the world.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said that the Philippines and India will take its relations to the next level as he began his five-day state visit in the South Asian country with the fourth largest economy in the world.