Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 22) — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. claimed the Philippines was part of a “VIP Club” of Southeast Asian countries with the best-performing economies at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland.
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“Mabuti naman at nakapunta tayo rito, dahil sa pagpunta natin, nasama tayo sa tinatawag nilang VIP Club… ‘Yung VIP Club ay Vietnam, Indonesia, and Philippines. ‘Yun daw ang pinakamagandang ekonomiya sa Asya,” Malacañang quoted the president as saying on Sunday.
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[Translation: It’s good that we were able to go there and participate because we were included in what they call VIP Club… The VIP Club is Vietnam, Indonesia, and the Philippines — countries that have the best economies in Asia.]
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There was no additional information as to how the VIP Club was created — since Malaysia’s economy grew by 14.2% in the third quarter of 2022 — or if it was just simply an acronym.
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Marcos attended the WEF on Jan. 16 to 20 to present the country’s economic situation. The president also had business meetings that he said, “held promise of new investments in many of our economic sectors.”
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RELATED: Marcos on criticisms vs PH delegation to WEF: We tried to be complete
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“The process that we undertook really in Davos was not simply to highlight the new situation, the new economic situation, the new policies, and the new concepts that we are promoting in the Philippines today, but also to learn from the world leaders and the world economic leaders what part the Philippines can play in this fragmented world,” Marcos said in his arrival speech on Saturday.
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He also pitched the Maharlika Investment Fund to top business executives and fellow world leaders during the forum, which Senate Minority Leader Koko Pimentel criticized as “premature” and would “tie the hands of Congress.”
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This was Marcos’ eighth foreign trip since he took office on June 30 last year. He is eyeing to visit Japan by mid-February. https://www.cnnphilippines.com/news/2023/1/6/marcos-japan-trip-mid-february.html
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