Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., right, and Palau President Surangel Whipps Jr. shake hands during a bilateral meeting in the state dining room of the Malacañang presidential palace in Manila on Monday, Feb. 24, 2025.
Pool photo by Mark Balmores
MANILA (Island Times/Pacnews) — Palau’s President Surangel Whipps has called for unity with the Philippines to tackle challenges posed by climate change and geopolitical issues.
Whipps was welcomed by Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Monday, Feb. 24, 2025, in Manila for a two-day official visit.
Whipps stated that this visit marks a milestone for Palau, which is home to thousands of Filipinos.
“We are here to further expand and strengthen our relationship as we confront geopolitical challenges and the greatest existential threat, which is climate change,” Whipps said during a bilateral meeting.
For Palau, he said, climate change is the most pressing issue, significantly impacting the country due to its vulnerability to rising sea levels, increased storm activity, coral bleaching, and disruptions to its marine ecosystem. These factors pose extreme risks to coastal communities and infrastructure.
Palau is also closely monitoring the situation between the Philippines and China in the South China Sea, with Whipps criticizing China’s aggressive military activities in the Indo-Pacific region.
In response, Marcos acknowledged the vulnerability of Pacific nations like Palau to the impacts of climate change.
“Our two countries understand the urgency of effective disaster risk management and collective climate action,” Marcos said during the meeting with Whipps.
In a joint press conference at Malacañang, the presidential palace in Manila, Whipps compared the collaboration between the two countries to the behavior of surgeon fish, which feed individually but come together to form a large school for protection against danger.
“I think this demonstrates the principle that we are stronger together. Now, more than ever, we must collaborate to navigate the geopolitical issues and pressures we face, particularly the existential threat of climate change,” Whipps stated.
“By standing united, we can overcome challenges and build a brighter, more hopeful, and resilient future for our people. Let us move forward with purpose and solidarity,” he added.
Whipps also expressed gratitude to Filipinos in Palau for their contributions to the country’s development.
“The Filipino community has played a pivotal role in rebuilding other Pacific Islands after the war and has significantly contributed to Palau’s progress. Currently, over 4,000 Filipinos live in Palau, enriching the community as accountants, nurses, dentists, pastors, teachers, engineers, construction workers, and more,” he said.
Palau and the Philippines have signed memorandums of understanding in fisheries to promote sustainable development through conservation, joint research, fishing ventures, and the prevention of illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing.
Additionally, the two countries exchanged a diplomatic note for a study visit by Palauan officials and agriculture and fisheries stakeholders to select facilities in the Philippines. Marcos stated that discussions on maritime boundary delimitation with Palau will continue.
He also expressed anticipation for the conclusion of a labor cooperation agreement aimed at protecting and promoting the welfare of Filipino workers in Palau, including a Social Security agreement that will guarantee access to social benefits for Filipinos working in Palau.
Furthermore, both countries have discussed formal cooperation in health to promote human resource development.
