
After 40 years, another Marcos has gone to Brunei to further strengthen the bilateral relationship between the Philippines and the Sultanate.
The late President Ferdinand E. Marcos Sr., accompanied by his son Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. travelled to Brunei Darussalam on February 23, 1984 for a state visit to establish diplomatic relations with the Sultanate.
On Tuesday, the younger Marcos, now the President of the Philippines, went to Brunei to continue strengthening the bilateral relationship established by his father for the benefit of the Filipinos and Bruneians.
President Marcos and His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah vowed on Tuesday to further strengthen the bilateral relationship between the Philippines and Brunei Darussalam.
In his meeting with the Sultan on Tuesday, President Marcos honored the 40 years of warm relations between the governments and the people of the Philippines and Brunei, which he said were nurtured by “mutual trust and understanding” of the two countries.
“The landscape of our region and of the world is changing in fundamental ways. The challenges brought by climate change, environmental degradation, and geopolitical tensions find it necessary for nation-states to cooperate more closely and more effectively,” President Marcos said.
“I am therefore honored to discuss the state of our countries’ relations, as well as exchange views on regional and international developments with the world’s longest-reigning current monarch and the longest-serving current head of state,” he added.
During his meeting with the Sultan, the President fondly recalled the time when his father visited Brunei in the early days of the bilateral relationship with the Sultanate in 1984.
President Marcos also thanked the Sultan for the warm welcome accorded to him and the Philippine delegation.
He also acknowledged Brunei’s assistance to the Philippines especially during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic where it donated test kits and vaccines to the country, and the help it extended to the victims of Super Typhoon Yolanda and Typhoon Odette.
The President also thanked Brunei for its help to the Philippine during the oil crises in the 1970s.
For his part, the Sultan thanked President Marcos for accepting his invitation to visit Brunei as he emphasized that the latter’s state visit is customary to both countries and in strengthening the friendship and ties.
“I’m looking forward to further enhancing our friendship in areas of future interest, which I believe will greatly benefit our countries and people,” the Sultan told President Marcos during the bilateral meeting on the first day of his two-day state visit to Brunei.
The diplomatic relationship between the Philippines and Brunei spans 40 years since it was formally established on January 1, 1984 when the Philippine Consulate General in Bandar Seri Begawan was elevated to an Embassy, and the Embassy of Brunei Darussalam was subsequently opened in Makati City.
The late Marcos Sr. played a big role in initiating the diplomatic ties with Brunei when he embarked on a state visit in the Sultanate in 1984. PND