From left: Philippine First Lady Louise Araneta-Marcos, President Tharman, President Marcos Jr., and Mr. Tharman’s spouse, Mrs. Jane Ittogi Shanmugaratnam, offer a toast during their welcome ceremony in Malacanang Palace. PHOTOS FROM PRESIDENTIAL COMMUNICATIONS OFFICE
The Philippines and Singapore have further reinforced their strong bilateral ties with the signing of two new Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) focused on the deployment of Filipino healthcare workers and the development of carbon credits at the sidelines of the State Visit of Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam to the Philippines from Aug. 15 to 17, 2024. These agreements build on the momentum established with the signing of an MOU on defense cooperation between the Department of National Defense (DND) and Singapore’s Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) in July 2024.
In their bilateral meeting held on 15 August 2024, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and President Tharman Shanmugaratnam expressed satisfaction with the progress of Philippine-Singapore bilateral relations. President Marcos said relations have undergone “immense transformation” since they were established over five decades ago, and are today strong and multi-faceted.
Both Presidents reaffirmed the warm and enduring relationship between Singapore and the Philippines. President Tharman emphasized that Singapore views itself as a long-term partner in the Philippines’ development across all sectors. He expressed Singapore’s commitment to sustaining this partnership through continued investments by Singaporean companies, sharing relevant expertise, and learning from the Philippines’ approaches to addressing complex challenges, including environmental issues.
President Marcos noted that their discussions were open, frank, and wide-ranging, covering important bilateral matters such as biodiversity conservation, investments, digital transformation, the ASEAN Grid, and renewable energy. Regional issues of mutual interest, including the West Philippine Sea/South China Sea and the situation in Myanmar, were also addressed. The two leaders agreed to further strengthen and expand Philippines-Singapore ties, committing to foster a forward-looking partnership.
President Tharman highlighted ongoing collaborations, including Singapore’s KK Women and Children’s Hospital with the City of Taguig towards an MOU on maternal and child healthcare; Singapore’s Infrastructure Asia with the provincial government of Cebu on addressing the latter’s infrastructure and water supply; and Singapore’s Keppel, in collaboration with GenZero and the Ayala Group, in advancing a project aimed at the early retirement of coal plants for transition credit generation. In another symbol of collaboration, Singapore will soon welcome a male Philippine eagle as part of efforts to establish a breeding pair at Bird Paradise.
This State Visit is especially timely as it marks the 55th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the Philippines and Singapore. It follows President Marcos’ recent visit to Singapore in May 2024, where he delivered the Keynote Address at the 21st Shangri-La Dialogue.