Marcos invites Malaysian companies to southern Philippines

Philippine president Ferdinand Marcos Jr (centre) during a meeting with foreign minister Mohamad Hasan (third from left) during the latter’s official visit to the Philippines yesterday. (Wisma Putra pic)

PETALING JAYA: Philippine president Ferdinand Marcos Jr has invited Malaysian companies to invest in southern Philippines, says the foreign ministry.

In a statement, Wisma Putra said Marcos discussed the positive developments in the region with foreign minister Mohamad Hasan during the latter’s official visit to the Philippines yesterday.

“Given the region’s vast potential, the president invited Malaysian companies to participate in various economic activities to promote socio-economic development in southern Philippines,” said Wisma Putra.

During the visit, Mohamad also met with his counterpart Enrique Manalo to discuss the further strengthening of bilateral cooperation, especially in trade, investment, the halal industry, Islamic finance and food security.

The visit coincided with the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Malaysia and the Philippines.

Southern Philippines is home to a decades-old Muslim separatist insurgency and extremist groups that have declared allegiance to the Islamic State.

Manila signed a peace pact with the nation’s largest rebel group, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, in 2014, ending a deadly armed rebellion.

However, smaller bands of Islamist militants opposed to the peace deal remain, and there are also communist insurgents operating in the region.

In April, 12 militants were killed in southern Philippines during a gun battle with security forces that left seven soldiers wounded.