Marcos notes significance of PH hosting Trade Management Summit 2024

President Ferdinand ''Bongbong'' Marcos Jr. on Monday highlighted the significance of the Philippines hosting the Philippine Strategic Trade Management Summit 2024 as the meeting helped secure global supply chains.

Marcos, who was present at the Trade Management Summit in Taguig City, emphasized that Southeast Asia had been hosting global discussions on export control of strategic goods such as those used for military purposes or the production of weapons of mass destruction.

''For the first time, the Philippines has the honor of hosting this significant forum—the Philippine Strategic Trade Management Summit. It is, for us, a remarkable milestone, not only for our country but also for the rest of the region,'' Marcos said in his speech.

''This time, the STM summit brings together not only our ASEAN neighbors but also partners from different parts of the world—from the United States to Japan, from Europe to Africa,'' he added.

Marcos said the summit would demonstrate the Philippine government's faith in the ''power of collaboration to improve and secure our global supply chains as well as to open our doors for trade to flourish, for wealth to grow, and for people to prosper.''

He pointed out that the world was growing more complex, with emerging technologies—both in civilian and military fields.

''The rapid pace of advancement demands us to be more agile, more responsible, and it requires us to address both the speed and dual-use nature of these new technologies,'' Marcos said.

According to Marcos, the Philippines had launched a strategic investment plan focused on developing key industries, which aims to empower the nation to position itself better in the global market.

''We have developed policies that require individuals and entities engaging in STMA-covered activities to register and to receive authorization to deliver their services,'' Marcos said.

''We have also implemented programs to educate not only the border control and import/export officers in fulfilling their responsibilities but also stakeholders to properly comply with our rules and our regulations,'' he added. — DVM, GMA Integrated News