MANILA, Philippines -- President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Tuesday expressed confidence that "things are looking up" for the Philippine economy as he vowed his administration's unrelenting efforts to improve the lives of Filipinos.

Speaking before the Filipino community in Brunei Darussalam, Marcos cited remittances sent by overseas Filipino workers for the country's good showing.

"We know that if the economy is doing good, our way of living is also stable. Things are looking up for the economy," he said. "Apart from the remittances coming from you, I also encourage all of you to someday to return, and invest, and set up your own business at home in the Philippines."

The Chief Executive also said that jobs were being created in the Philippines by investments reaching P1.26 trillion in 2023. He said that under his watch, the government ramped up efforts to attract more investments for the country to provide employment opportunities for Filipinos "so that working abroad will become only a career choice and not the only option" for the citizens.

Marcos also shared that he was "relentlessly pushing and prioritizing" the development of country's agricultural lands and sector. By building infrastructure and improving market linkages of farmers, farmlands will yield not only crops but also open up opportunities "that create ripples of positive effects throughout the country".

"I cannot emphasize it enough, but we really need to invest in the development, productivity, and modernization of our agri sector," he said.

The President will wrap up his two-day state visit to the sultanate with engagements with top members of Brunei's business sector during a forum to promote trade and investment relations between the two countries.

Both are members of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), and the Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA).

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