President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is scheduled to attend two bilateral meetings in the middle of the 43rd Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit in Jakarta, Indonesia.

In a report by Edniel Parrosa on MBC Network News, Marcos will meet with the leaders of Vietnam and South Korea, while Cambodia and Timor Leste are first, per the information released by the Presidential Communications Office (PCO).

Moreover, Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Assistant Secretary Daniel Espiritu first announced the President’s meeting with Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol.

Espiritu said that the meeting with Chinh will focus on a ‘strategic partnership,’ which is cooperation when it comes to the rice product.

Rice concern is also one of the President’s highlights in his discussion with Yoon, who has promised 750 metric tons of rice for those affected by Typhoon Egay.

Prior to flying to Jakarta, Marcos insisted that his administration is focused on the issue of the price of rice, particularly that the price cap on its retail price will be implemented today, September 5.