PM Lawrence Wong at the Official Dinner Hosted by Philippine President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr. (Jun 2025)

Your Excellency President Ferdinand R Marcos Jr. and First Lady Louise Araneta-Marcos
Excellencies
Distinguished Guests
Ladies and Gentlemen

I thank President Marcos Jr. for the warm hospitality extended to me and the Singapore delegation, as well as many Singaporeans who have flown in here tonight for this dinner.

This is my first visit to the Philippines as Prime Minister. It is also my first visit overseas since the recent General Election, and I am honoured that I have the chance to come here to the Philippines. And I am glad that it is taking place at a time when our countries are more connected than ever.

The transport links between our countries have grown.

We upgraded the Singapore-Philippines Air Services Agreement last year.

And this has enabled more flight connectivity, and more travellers flying from or through Singapore to reach airports across the Philippines.

Now, Singapore Airlines Group flies to five destinations in the Philippines, and Scoot has launched new flights to Ilo Ilo.

This improved air connectivity will enable more exchanges between our people.

There is already a vibrant Filipino community in Singapore. They contribute their talents across various fields – from design to healthcare – and they enrich our multi-cultural society.

There are also many Singapore and Philippine companies working together for mutual benefit, in areas ranging from logistics and digital infrastructure to sustainability and carbon credits.

But there is still much more that we can do together.

And this afternoon, the President and I discussed some priority areas of cooperation.

These include renewable energy and carbon credits.

Our joint initiatives will support our climate goals, boost energy resilience, and unlock new opportunities in the green economy – opportunities not just for our two countries, but for the entire ASEAN region, including putting in place the building blocks for the new ASEAN Power Grid.

The story of the Negros bleeding-heart pigeon is an instructive one of how our two countries come together for a shared, common goal.

The Negros bleeding-heart pigeon is so named because it has a vibrant red patch on its chest. This bird is found in the Negros and Panay islands, and it is critically endangered.

The Philippines wants to safeguard the pigeon from extinction.

So Mandai Wildlife Group worked with various partners to establish the first conservation breeding programme for the pigeons outside of the Philippines.

They started with just three pairs of pigeons in 2021. And I am glad that these birds have bred successfully.

Earlier this year, 10 of their offspring were returned to the Philippines, and they will be released back into their natural habitat.

And the remaining pigeons will remain in Singapore for conservation breeding efforts.

So it is one programme, but it symbolises the efforts of our two countries coming together, the good that we can do together when we partner each other, including protecting our biodiversity, sustainability, and achieving outcomes for the good of humanity.

Excellencies, the Singapore-Philippines partnership is built on firm and growing connections between our countries, and I look forward to working with President Marcos Jr. to take it to even greater heights.

So Excellencies, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, may I now invite you to join me in a toast:

To the continued good health and success of President Marcos Jr. and First Lady Araneta-Marcos;

To the peace, progress, and prosperity of the Philippines; and

To the enduring friendship between our countries and our peoples.

Cheers!