President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will push for a just, sustainable and affordable energy transition financing, deeper health cooperation, digitalization and innovation, and food security cooperation during his attendance next week to the 30th APEC Leaders’ Meeting in San Francisco, California.

During a pre-departure briefing in Malacañang on Tuesday, Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Charles Jose enumerated the President’s agenda that he would pursue during his attendance to the APEC meeting.

“He will emphasize the need to invest more on clean energy to preserve and protect the environment while ensuring that we are energy secure and sufficient,” Jose said.

“With our experience from the COVID-19 pandemic, the President wishes to push for deeper cooperation in health and modernizing health systems and to ensure that our health professionals are recognized and provided with welfare they deserve.”

The President will also touch on digitalization and innovation in order for the Philippines to best prepare its workforce and the larger human resource. Like the previous year, the President will push for the digital participation of the country’s micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).

Marcos, who will be attending APEC meeting on November 15 to 17, will also advance cooperation in food security particularly focusing on research and development, innovation and equity and inclusivity for the benefit of small farmers, as well as call for an urgent need to address climate change to build resiliency.

According to the foreign affairs official, the President may have bilateral meetings with other leaders although there is still no confirmed schedule at this time considering the evolving logistical considerations.

“As for the business community, the President will lead a Philippine economic briefing and have several meetings with top US companies,” said Jose.

“He will also attend the APEC CEO Summit and the APEC Leaders Dialogue with the APEC Business Advisory Council.”

The President will also be meeting with the Filipino communities in San Francisco, Los Angeles, California, and Honolulu, Hawaii.

The President will be leaving San Francisco for Los Angeles on the 17th and will meeting the Filipino community on the 18th. He will leave Los Angeles for Honolulu on the same day and he will meet the Filipino community on the evening of November 18, according to Jose. Presidential News Desk