President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. arrived in Brunei Darussalam on Tuesday for a two-day state visit to strengthen the bilateral relationship between the Philippines and the Sultanate.

The plane carrying the President and First Lady Louise Araneta-Marcos along with his official delegation arrived at the Bandar Seri Begawan International Airport at 10:01 am.

President Marcos was warmly welcomed by Bruneian officials.

On the first day of his visit, the President will have a general audience with His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam.

This will be followed by a bilateral meeting with His Majesty Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah at the Istana Nurul Iman.

President Marcos will also meet the Filipino community in Brunei at the BRIDEX International Convention Centre. There are around 25,000 Filipinos in Brunei.

The President will cap his first day with a state banquet at the Istana Nurul Iman.

During his visit to the Islamic sultanate, the President will be engaging with top members of business sector during a forum to promote trade and investment relations between Brunei and the Philippines. Both countries are members of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), and the Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA).

The Philippine leader’s state visit is a manifestation of the vibrant relations between the two countries. It’s in line with the President’s commitment to continue exploring various avenues for economic growth and job opportunities for Filipinos, according to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).

The visit marks 40 years of bilateral relations between the Philippines and Brunei Darussalam. PND