Dateline Kamuning: As part of efforts to bolster response to the needs of overseas Filipinos (OFs) under the administration of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said it has repatriated more than 7,000 OFs this year as part of its duty to ensure the welfare of Filipinos abroad.     Through the repatriation efforts led by the Office of the Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs (OUMWA), a total of 7,880 overseas Filipinos were repatriated from January to November 2022. In its accomplishment report presented to Malacañang, the DFA said 57.67 percent of this number are from the Middle East; 942 OFs and distressed Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) are from Kuwait, and 70 are from Sri Lanka. President Marcos earlier said the coordination between the DFA and the newly created Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) would be further strengthened in a bid to provide assistance to OFs. In his official trips abroad, the chief exe...

   Dateline Kamuning  President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. participates in the first Retreat Session of the 29th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders’ Meeting at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center (QSNCC) in Bangkok, Thailand on November 18, 2022. Anchored on discussions for the advancement of the Asia-Pacific region, the President and his fellow Economic Leaders exchange views on the current global economic challenges and how to achieve a balanced, inclusive and sustainable growth among the Member Economies. President Marcos Jr. is expected to discuss the Philippines’ economic agenda among his counterparts, particularly on food and energy security; Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs); digitalization; and climate change, among others.

 Dateline Kamuning   President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. will have a bilateral meeting with his Chinese counterpart on Thursday on the sidelines of his participation in the 29th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders’ Meeting (AELM). Prior to his attendance at the ASEAN Summits in Cambodia last week, President Marcos said the West Philippine Sea will be one of the top agenda if he meets with the Chinese president. The chief executive said that it’s impossible for him to talk to China without mentioning the West Philippine Sea issue. The President also pushed for the adoption of a binding Code of Conduct in the South China Sea during the summit in Cambodia, noting, however, that involved parties must first agree on a status quo.   During President Marcos’ attendance at the ASEAN-East Asia Summit, he renewed his call to make the South China Sea a sea of peace, security, stability and prosperity and not an area of armed conflict or geopolitical dis...