EU Ambassador to the Philippines, His Excellency Massimo Santoro; Finnish Ambassador Saija Nurminen; Dr. Marco Gemmer, Head of Cooperation at the EU Delegation in the Philippines; members of the diplomatic core; my fellow workers in government: good afternoon.

This is my first official engagement as Secretary of Finance and I’m very happy that it is with the European Union and it’s a privilege to stand alongside friends and partners who have believed in us and invested in the Filipino people.

We take this support from the EU as a strong vote of confidence in our nation’s direction, our reforms, and our aspirations as a people.

The European Union’s continued support, delivered through its portfolio of grants and initiatives, is proof of your long-term commitment.

They serve as lifelines for communities, catalysts for reforms, and building blocks of the Bagong Pilipinas. And for that, we are very grateful.

This project will provide the Philippines with a secure and reliable digital connectivity infrastructure by enabling high-speed and real-time access to Copernicus data.

This will allow the government to better prepare for natural disasters, respond faster in times of crisis, and provide immediate relief to Filipino families. And we need this now more than ever.

We also extend our heartfelt thanks to the Governments of Finland and France for complementing the EU’s support through additional contributions of 2 million euros and 600,000 euros, respectively.

Your additional assistance is an added strength for our projects. This is another testament that when friends come together, good things happen for the Filipino people.

Again, maraming maraming salamat po. Let us continue building bridges between nations, between institutions, and most importantly, between our peoples.

Mabuhay kayong lahat. Mabuhay ang Bagong Pilipinas!