President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. arrived in Berlin, Germany where he will sit down for a bilateral meeting with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, March 12, 2024. | PHOTO: Official facebook page of the Presidential Communications Office (PCO)
Berlin – President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has encouraged German companies to set up shop in the Philippines to address the labor shortage that Germany is facing while creating jobs for Filipinos.
In his speech before the Filipino community on Tuesday night at the Ritz Carlton, the President said he made the pitch when he spoke before German business leaders at the Philippine-German Business Forum earlier in the day.
“I addressed businessmen here in Germany to encourage them to invest in the Philippines, help our economy and give jobs to our countrymen,” Marcos said.
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He said foreign investors who set up factories in the Philippines will receive incentives, and that this will also benefit Filipinos looking for work.
“I told them, if Germany lacks workers, why not establish factories in the Philippines? They will have many brilliant, hard-working and trustworthy Filipino workers to choose from,” the President said.
He went on: “Setting up manufacturing companies in the Philippines will address the labor shortage Germany is currently facing and will provide our workers jobs which will keep them home with their families. Business, workers and our countries will both benefit from such an arrangement.”
The Chief Executive also assured Filipinos here that the government continues to “explore avenues for economic growth and employment opportunity both at home and abroad” to “reduce the need for many Filipinos to seek employment overseas.”
“Under the Bagong Pilipinas program, we will improve opportunities for Filipinos to have livelihoods here so that they will no longer need to work far away from their loved ones,” he added.
There are around 36,000 Filipinos living and working in Germany.
Marcos met the Filipino community here on the second day of his working visit to Germany. He thanked overseas Filipino workers for their $ 33.5 million in remittances last year and for uplifting the image of Filipinos around the world with their good work ethic.
Hours before, he addressed German business leaders at a forum at the Berlin Marriott Hotel and urged them to continue investing in the Philippines.
“I invite esteemed German business leaders to continue to keep in mind the Philippines as a reliable partner that can support your market expansion and operations,” the President said, as he assured them of legislative reforms that will make investing in the Philippines easier and more profitable.