Philippine President Marcos Begins Cambodia Visit to Boost Trade, Combat Transnational Crime
Phnom Penh, Cambodia – Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. arrived in Cambodia Sunday for a three-day state visit, marking the first by a Philippine president as 2016 and signaling a renewed focus on strengthening bilateral ties and tackling shared security concerns. the visit, at the invitation of King Norodom Sihamoni, follows February’s reciprocal trip to the Philippines by Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet, during which eight agreements were signed covering trade, investment, agriculture, education, tourism, and data and communications technology.The trip is considered “highly crucial” by the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs, with President Marcos aiming to expand economic cooperation and collaborate with Cambodia on addressing transnational crimes, particularly human trafficking. This urgency stems from recent cases of Filipino citizens falling victim to online scam syndicates operating in the region.
in August, a rescue operation successfully brought 24 Filipinos home who had been recruited through Facebook job postings promising legitimate work as encoders or customer service representatives. Though, the Bureau of Immigration reported these individuals were coerced into participating in “love scam” operations.
Analysts believe the visit provides a platform for both nations to unlock untapped trade opportunities and deepen cooperation on regional security challenges. The focus on combating transnational crime reflects a growing concern over the exploitation of vulnerable populations through online scams and trafficking networks.