Marcos sees more Pinoys studying in Germany

BERLIN – More Filipinos are coming to Germany to study, President Marcos has said, noting that people-to-people exchanges have helped deepen the country’s ties with the European nation that span seven decades this year.

- HELEN FLORES

Speaking before the Filipino community here on Tuesday, the President also cited the country’s national hero, Jose Rizal, whom he said spent a significant period of his life in Germany.

“Like Rizal, I am told that students and scholars from the Philippines continue to come to Germany through the German Academic Exchange Program,” Marcos told Filipinos gathered at the Ritz Carlton Hotel.

“His (Rizal) time in this country is a reminder of the enduring bonds between the Philippines and Germany,” the President said.

“These people-to-people exchanges strengthen the fabric of our bilateral relations and contribute to greater understanding between the people of this country and the over 35,000 people now living here in Germany,” he added.

Germany is home to an estimated 35,930 Filipinos, some of whom are scholars, trainees and volunteers, according to Philippine Ambassador Irene Susan Natividad.

In 2023, remittances from OFWs reached $33.5 billion, Marcos said, citing data from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas.

“This (OFW remittances) made a huge contribution to our economy,” he said. “This surge in remittances was bolstered by the strength of the Philippine peso, which magnified the value of these financial lifelines.”