President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Monday called on Filipino-Americans to encourage their children and grandchildren to visit the Philippines and see for themselves the richness of Philippine culture and history.
The President made the remark during his meeting with the Filipino community in Washington D.C.
“Let them see for themselves what the Philippines is about, what is our culture, what is our history. I’m sure the first and second and third generation Filipino-Americans are more than happy to learn about their proud Philippine ancestry. Sooner or later, we will be able to welcome you back home to the Philippines, especially those who have re-acquired their Filipino citizenship,” said the President.
In his speech, the President also thanked overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) for their significant contributions to the growth of the economy through remittances and credited them for “keeping the Philippines afloat” during the pandemic.
“Noong pandemya ay ang bumuhay talaga sa ekonomiya ng Pilipinas ay mga OFW. At kaya’t… Kung hindi po sa inyo ay siguro mas mahirapan po na makabangon ang Pilipinas, kaya’t ulit maraming, maraming salamat sa inyo,” said Marcos.
“Napakalalim po ng kasaysayan at kontribusyon ng mga Pilipino dito sa Amerika, mula sa mga beterano ng World War II at sa mga sumusunod na nagtrabaho, hanggang ngayon nasa US Navy at iba pang serbisyo militar ng Estados Unidos.
The chief executive also mentioned about his recent meeting with US President Joseph Biden, whom he thanked for accommodating Filipinos and providing opportunities for them to thrive.
“Kasama ko po ang ating mga miyembro ng Gabinete upang ipagtibay ang ating pagkakaibigan sa Amerika, United States at saka ng Pilipinas… Naging bahagi po sa usapan namin ay nagpasalamat naman ako sa kanila dahil sa dami ng Pilipino na nandito sa Amerika, na nandito sa US ay lahat naman naging maganda ang buhay at… tinanggap kaagad ng ating mga kaibigang taga-US,” said the President.
“Kaya naman nagkaroon kayo ng hanapbuhay. Nagkaroon kayo ng magandang pagkakataon para tulungan ang inyong mga pamilya, para tulungan ang inyong mga community, para tulungan ang inyong bansa sa Pilipinas,” the President added.
The President reassured OFWs of the government’s sustained efforts to make the Philippines better and vowed to boost the quality of jobs so that time will come when Filipinos would no longer have to go abroad out of necessity.
“Ang aming isusukli po sa inyo ay lahat ng trabaho po namin para asikasuhin ang kalagayan ng lahat ng ating mga kababayan, hindi lamang sa Pilipinas kung hindi sa iba’t ibang lugar sa buong mundo,” said the President. (PND)
