President Marcos will leave this afternoon (Monday) for a working visit to Germany and a state visit to the Czech Republic.

The President would be joined by First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos and other members of the Philippine delegation for the five-day visit from March 11 to 15.

Mr. Marcos is expected to raise the current tensions between Manila and Beijing in the West Philippine Sea.

Previously, Germany has vowed to donate more drones to boost the country’s maritime surveillance capabilities in the West Philippines Sea.

The drones, funded by a 129-million-euro (P7.9-billion) assistance package from Berlin, will serve as the Philippine Coast Guard reconnaissance assets in the disputed area.

In Berlin, the President is scheduled to formalize a joint declaration of intent aimed at bolstering cooperation within the maritime sector,a collaboration to be sealed by the transportation agencies of both nations.

Additionally, a cooperation program between the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) and the German Federal Institute for Vocational Education is scheduled to be signed.

Meanwhile, in his trip to the Czech Republic, the President is set to sign a joint communique establishing a labor consultations mechanismaimed at enhancing collaboration between Manila and Prague to support Filipino worker migration.

The Presidential Communications Office said Mr. Marcos’ trip was upon the invitation of German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Czech President Petr Pavel.

His trip to Central Europe comes after a back-to-back trip to Australia for a state visit and his participation in the ASEAN-Australia Special Summit.

Source