President Simina meets with President Marcos in Manila – Labor Ban Lifted

Manila, Philippines, October 13, 2023 – On Friday October 13th, H.E. President Wesley W. Simina met H.E. Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr., President of the Philippines at the Malacañang Palace in Manila. At the outset of the meeting, President Simina raised the matter of the labor deployment ban that has prohibited citizens of the Philippines to work in the FSM since 2018, noting the crippling effect that it has had on the business sector and the FSM’s workforce since its implementation. The two governments however have been working together to resolve the issue in recent years, and today, President Marcos Jr. announced to President Simina that he is “happy to announce to you and the people of Micronesia that we are lifting that ban.”, adding that the incident that provoked the labor ban was an “isolated incident, and that’s why we feel confident that it is time to lift the ban to allow our people to go to Micronesia to work, should they choose.” President Simina conveyed his sincerest appreciation on behalf of the government and people of the FSM, for this much welcome outcome, and commended all involved who worked towards this positive resolution. President Simina and President Marcos Jr. also discussed an array of issues of mutual importance, including further continuing the spirit of cooperation through the FSM’s support of the Philippines’ candidature for the United Nations Security Council as well as its candidate for the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Director of the Western Pacific post. The meeting ended on a high note with both governments expressing sentiments of looking forward to further positive cooperation.