MANILA — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Sunday gave the public a glimpse of how the national government receives heads of states and foreign dignitaries, saying that these protocols and preparations are indicative of Filipino hospitality.
Days before the arrival of a foreign visitor in Malacañang, protocol officials already confirm their routes, schedules, and dietary restrictions, Marcos Jr. said on his latest vlog, underscoring that the Philippines tries its best to personalize each visit to the Palace.
“Pine personalize natin ang pagtanggap natin dahil espesyal ang bawat isang bisita. Mula sa musika na maririnig nila ay personalized,” he said.
“Kung papasok ng Palasyo ay may bandang kawayan na bubungad sa kanila. Siyempre interesado sila sa musical instrument na yun, pero ang nakakatuwa, ang tinutugtog ng ating mga musiko ay yung folk song ng ating mga bisita,” he said.
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“Yung effort na yun na aralin mo ang piyesa ng music ay malaking bagay sa kanila,” he added.
(We personalize each visit because each guest is special. If they enter the Palace, there will be a bamboo ensemble that will welcome them. They are interested in these musical instruments, but the fun part is, the local ensemble plays folk songs from the visitor’s country. The effort of having our musicians learn their native musical piece is already a big deal for these visitors.)
During the visit of Malaysian officials, Malacañang chose a Malaysian song and translated it to both Filipino and English, the President said.
“‘Yun ang ginawa nating fireworks music. Bilib na bilib sila sa effort natin na gawin yun,” he said.
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“Ang ating entertainment naman sa mga gala dinner ay pagkakataon natin na ipakita at ipagmalaki ang ating napakayaman na kultura,” he said.
(We used that as the music during the fireworks display. They were really in awe of our effort. The entertainment that we provide during gala dinners is a chance for us to showcase our very rich culture.)
The food served in every meal is also “carefully prepared” and is based on the dietary requirement of each visitor, Marcos Jr. said.
“Kung may dietary requirements ay inaalam natin yan. Kung halal ang puwedeng kainin, kung may preference or allergies ba ang ating panauhin, lahat yan ay kailangan malaman natin,” he said.
“May binibigay din tayong mga regalo sa ating mga bisita. Ito ay mga local crafts natin na mula sa iba’t ibang bahagi ng bansa dahil napakaganda naman yung gawang Pilipino,” he said.
“Ito ay hinahanap talaga ng ating team at hindi lang ito yung basta-bastang mabibili sa mga mall. Love local talaga at importanteng maibida natin ang mga gawa ng mga MSMEs,” he added.
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(We ask in advance for their dietary requirements. We need to take note if they consume halal, if they have preferences or allergies. We also give our visitors some gifts. These are local crafts from different parts of the country because Filipino craftsmanship is really beautiful. Our team looks for these items which cannot be simply bought in malls. We really need to love local and it is important for us to put products from micro, small and medium enterprises at the front and center.)
The President, however, did not mention how much the government spends for these kinds of visits.
The President also highlighted the newly-renovated Laperal Mansion that serves as a guest house for heads of state who are visiting the Philippines.
“Isa sa mga inaral natin na kailangan ng mga bisita ay ang madaling access sa mga pupuntahan nila,” he said.
“Karamihan ay sa Palasyo naman ang mga meeting at engagement… Imbis na maghohotel pa sila sa malayo, matratraffic at mahihirapan sa mga schedule ng mga meeting, dito na lang sila malapit sa Palasyo,” he said.
“Nagkataon na may mga napabayaang lumang bahay sa compound ng Malacañang at may nakita kaming isa na puwede pang irenovate,” he added.
(We also study how our visitors can have easy access to the destinations they need to go to. Most of the meetings are inside the Palace so instead of staying in a far hotel where they can be stuck in traffic and be late for scheduled meetings, they can stay somewhere near the Palace. Coincidentally we have several old mansions in the Malacañang compound and we saw one so we had that renovated.)
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Marcos Jr. underscored that it is crucial for the Philippines to forge closer and friendlier ties with other countries, especially with how interconnected the world already is.
“Mahalaga na ang ating bisita ay pakiramdam nila na very welcome sila dito para naman maging mas matibay ang ating mga pagsasama, ang ating mga agreement, ang ating mga partnerships sa iba’t ibang bansa,” he said.
“Alam naman natin na sa panahon ngayon, sa mundo ngayon, kailangan marami kang kasama sa iyong ginagawa dahil ganiyan na rin ang ekonomiya ng buong mundo kaya importante na malaman nila na mahalaga sila sa atin,” he said.
(It is important to make our visitors feel that they are very welcome here so that our partnerships and agreements with our countries will be stronger. We know that in this age, in this world, you need a lot of allies because that is how the world economy works so it is important to make them feel that we value them.)
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Marcos Jr.’s vlog on Filipino hospitality was uploaded a day before the arrival of Qatar Amir Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad al Thani in Malacañang.
The Qatari leader is in the Philippines for a 2-day state visit, where he and Marcos Jr. are expected to “exchange views on regional issues and bilateral relations.”
Originally published on https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/4/21/marcos-jr-shares-how-malaca-ang-showcases-filipino-hospitality-for-visiting-world-leaders-1853
