President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is now back in Manila after taking part in the BRICS Summit in New Delhi, India, where he cited investment pledges and expanded cooperation in vital sectors as among the country’s gains from the brief visit.
In a press briefing in New Delhi, Marcos said personal talks with other world leaders led to better understanding and bilateral ties with the global community.
“You have a better understanding of each other. You have a better understanding of their country, what their concerns are. And that’s valuable,” Marcos said.
He noted that some Indian companies operating in the Philippines are eyeing expanded operations, while others expressed interest in entering the market.
The President also met with Indian firms to tackle collaboration in railway technology, space research, digital payments, infrastructure development, and disaster resilience.
The iSON Group pledged a total investment commitment of $ 75 million for modern farming and renewable energy, healthcare and 24/7 teleconsultation.
Another USD10 million was promised for expanded business process outsourcing and integrated global delivery centers.
Marcos attended the BRICS Summit to represent the Association of Southeast Asian Nations as its chair for this year, and as one of BRICS’ Outreach Countries.
Meanwhile, the President assured that the government will boost public spending to help economic growth.
“We will be current in public spending in the next couple of months,” he said.
He noted that there was a slowdown in infrastructure spending due to the review of contracts of the Department of Public Works and Highways.
This was after Marcos revealed corruption in flood control projects in his State of the Nation Address in 2025.
He said the boost in public spending for government projects would help revive economic activity and create more jobs for Filipinos.