President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. will head for Busan and Gyeongju in South Korea from Oct. 30 to Nov. 2 to attend the 32nd Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders’ Meeting, where he is expected to push for stronger trade, innovation, and investment partnerships across the Asia-Pacific.
“The President’s participation is centered on advancing the Philippines’ economic interests, forging deeper ties with APEC members, and reaffirming our commitment to APEC’s vision of a more open, prosperous, and dynamic Asia-Pacific in a rapidly transforming regional landscape,” Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Spokesperson Angelica Escalona said in a press briefing in Malacañang on Tuesday.
Marcos is currently in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit.
He is expected to return to the country late Tuesday night after officially receiving the chairship for the 2026 ASEAN Summit.
Escalona said the APEC Summit is expected to produce four key outcome documents – the APEC Leaders’ Declaration, as well as three statements on artificial intelligence, on demographic change, and on cultural and creative industries.
Marcos is scheduled to deliver a speech at the APEC CEO Summit, which gathers top business executives and policymakers to discuss regional trade and technology trends.
He is expected to hold one-on-one meetings with executives in priority sectors, such as manufacturing and semiconductors, though Escalona declined to name specific companies.
The President will also meet with members of the Filipino community in Busan, home to more than 70,000 Filipinos, 42,000 of them overseas workers.
He will wind up his visit with a wreath-laying and tree-planting ceremony at the UN Memorial Cemetery, in honor of the 7,420 Filipino soldiers who fought in the Korean War.
Escalona said no meetings have been scheduled yet with United States President Donald Trump or Chinese President Xi Jinping, though “two bilateral meetings are being finalized.”
Trump and Xi are expected to hold a high-stakes bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the APEC Summit in South Korea. (PNA)
