Thank you very much, Executive Secretary Luke Bersamin.

[Please, please sit down.]

Vice President Sara Duterte, nice to see you back from Davao; House Speaker Martin Romualdez; members of the cabinet, those who will be joining us to Europe and those who will be holding down the fort here; Pasay City lone District Representative Antonino Calixto, and of course, Pasay City Mayor Imelda Calixto-Rubiano, I think we should already put offices for you here [laughter], para hindi ka na pabalik-balik.

AFP chief of staff General Romeo Brawner and major service commanders; PNP chief General Benjie Acorda; Philippine Coast Guard Commandant [Admiral] Ronnie Gavan;

And you’re supposed to be secret, so, I won’t greet you anymore. The the National Security Adviser. [laughter]

And of course, the first lady, First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, who against her better judgment is still accompanying me on this trip. [laughter]

So, fellow workers in government; ladies and gentlemen, good afternoon.

I go now to Central Europe to visit with two important partners, the Federal Republic of Germany and the Czech Republic.

My visit is upon the gracious invitation of Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz
of Germany and President Petr Pavel of the Czech Republic.

Building upon the visit of Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala in April 2023 and German Federal Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock in January this year, my visit marks a pivotal moment in our efforts to continuously deepen bilateral relations and explore avenues for enhanced cooperation with Germany and the Czech Republic, and indeed the world.

The Philippines has enjoyed long and robust relations with these two nations in the center of Europe.

We are commemorating our 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations with the Czech Republic, which was established in 1973, and we celebrate as well the
70th anniversary of our relations with Germany.

Both of these states share an affinity for our national hero, Dr. Jose Rizal.

Jose Rizal’s affection for Germany and its people is evident in his many travels around the world. That Berlin, the capital, is where Dr. Rizal’s most pivotal literary work, Noli Me Tangere, was first published.

Jose Rizal also found a kindred spirit in a man born in Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic, by the name of Ferdinand Blumentritt.

So great is their bond that the last letter of Dr. Rizal that he wrote before his execution was in fact to Blumentritt.

Thus, I look on my trip to the center of Europe with anticipation and optimism for the opportunities to be explored and for our friendship with the German and Czech nations to be affirmed and strengthened.

I will be meeting with Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Germany.

In the Czech Republic, I will meet with the four constitutional heads of government, President Petr Pavel and Prime Minister Petr Fiala, and the heads of the Czech Parliament, Senate President Miloš Vystrčil, [I hope I…] Vystrčil, and Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies Markéta Pekarová Adamová.

During our time in Germany and the Czech Republic, we will underscore our unwavering commitment to strengthening partnerships with like-minded countries promoting the rules-based international order, which serves as the cornerstone of global peace and of stability.

We will also focus on expanding economic cooperation, opening up more avenues for mutually beneficial trade and investment opportunities.

We wish to tap Germany’s expertise in renewable energy to assist us in our
energy transition efforts, as well as on manufacturing, healthcare, agriculture, aerospace, innovation and startups, IT-BPM, minerals processing.

In the same vein, we wish to harness the Czech Republic’s expertise on agriculture, manufacturing, especially in the automotive industry, transportation, renewable energy, space, and scientific instruments that they have been leading the world in, in terms of technology.

We are eager to invite German and Czech businesses to consider the Philippines as a production hub for their products.

I look forward also to meeting with, of course, our kababayans in Berlin and Prague to reaffirm my commitment to their welfare and to explore ways of harnessing their talents for the betterment of our nation.

It is important that as we enhance our labor cooperation with these countries, our highest priority remains the protection of the rights and welfare of our overseas Filipino workers.

We also want to increase people-to-people exchanges, foster cultural understanding, strengthen the bonds of friendship with Germany and the Czech Republic.

So, during this visit, several agreements between our two countries will be signed, covering important areas of cooperation.

For Germany, the Joint Declaration of Intent (JDI) on Strengthening Maritime Cooperation and the Cooperation Programme between the Technical Educational and Skills Development Authority or TESDA and the Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training (BIBB) will be signed.

In the Czech Republic, we will also be signing a Joint Communiqué on the establishment of a labor consultation which aims to elevate cooperation between the Philippines and the Czech Republic for the safe and orderly migration of Filipino workers and to provide a higher level of protection of their rights and their welfare.

There are also other agreements in the pipeline that we are closely working on, especially on the Czech side.

As we remember and from the visits that came from the Prime Minister of the Czech Republic, so, we continue to think of those items that we discussed.

So, as we embark on that journey, I’m confident that this visit will yield fruitful outcomes.

I look forward to having productive discussions, fruitful collaboration, and memorable experiences that will further cement the enduring ties between the Philippines, and Germany and of course, the Czech Republic.

Maraming salamat po!

Mabuhay kayong lahat. [applause]

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