President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. thanked Filipino diplomats on Wednesday for ensuring that his foreign trips go smoothly as he joined the celebration of the 125th anniversary of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).

Speaking at the Heroes Hall at the Malacanang Palace, Marcos expressed his appreciation for diplomats who do their work "quietly" and "professionally".

“I wanted to just make it known to all of you, that sometimes, being diplomats, you all work very quietly and in the background and do not call attention to yourselves,” Marcos said.

He said he knew much was expected from them because he used to travel frequently with his mother, former First Lady Imelda Marcos.

“When I see the preparations and how professionally they are done and how professionally the conduct of these visits go on. With the guidance that I get from our diplomats, different ambassadors…and the people in each of the stations, I always feel very well-equipped. And I always feel that I’m lucky to have that kind of support that is professional,” he said.

Marcos said they have been “getting better and better” for the last 20 years.

“I’m very, very happy to stand before you to say that thanks to your hard work, your very skilled work, the great experience that you bring to bear, these trips that we have taken have been quite successful because they have been so well put together,” Marcos said.

“When I go there, I am properly briefed. I have good information, and the trip runs smoothly. All I have to do is to charm everybody because you did the legwork for me already. And for that, I hope you all realize how appreciative we all are for the very difficult, sometimes extremely complicated, and always quiet work that you do,” he added. Jaspearl Tan/DMS