President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. left Manila for New Delhi, India on Monday morning.
Marcos’ state visit to India is upon the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The presidential plane carrying Marcos and the entire delegation left at 10:44 in the morning.
In his departure speech, Marcos said India is a valued friend of the Philippines as the two nations have had mutually beneficial interactions since pre-colonial times.
“Throughout our history, Philippine culture has been deeply enriched by our exchanges with the Indian civilization, which have long influenced our language, our literature, customs, and even folklore,” he said.
Marcos also said his trip to India would cap the year-long commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the establishment of our diplomatic relations.
“Our bilateral relations have seen a measured and stable development that are both comprehensive in scope and multifaceted in nature,” he said.
The President further said he wants his visit to result in cheaper medicines for Filipinos, among others
“I want this visit to bring concrete benefits for the Filipino people, such as more affordable medicine and greater connectivity and food security,” Marcos said in his departure speech.
“It is incumbent upon us, now more than ever, to maximize the opportunities in trade and investment with the world’s fourth largest economy,” he added.
Earlier in the day, Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin said that he, Agrarian Reform Secretary Conrad Estrella III, and Education Secretary Sonny Angara would be the country’s caretakers while the President is in India. —AOL, GMA Integrated News
