"Unity is the key for us to move forward."

This was how President Marcos explained why his party, the Partido Federal ng Pilipinas (PFP) allied with the Nacionalista Party (NP), saying leaders who will emerge victorious in the midterm elections next year must know how to rise above political differences for the sake of the Filipino people.

Marcos said this as he led the formal signing ceremony of the alliance of the two political parties in Taguig City on Thursday morning, Aug. 8.

In his speech, the President said that while the alliance between the NP and the PFP was "very natural," it was important to formalize it to prepare them for the 2025 polls.

"We are here today to formalize this relationship and to prepare ourselves to make sure that the leadership that will win after the midterm election next year are the leaders who understand that we must put our partisan, our personal differences aside," he said.

"Ang pinakamahalaga ay magkasundo tayo kung anuman ang pinakamanganda para matulungan natin ang ating mga kababayan (What's most important is we are in agreement about what is the best for the people)," he added.

The PFP, formed in 2018, forming alliances with major national political parties is part of the "Alyansa Para sa Bagong Pilipinas" movement launched ahead of the 2025 midterm elections.

The NP is the fourth national party that the PFP has allied with. The other parties are the Lakas–Christian Muslim Democrats (Lakas-CMD), the Nationalist People's Coalition (NPC), and the Nationalist Unity Party (NUP).

In his speech on Thursday, Marcos explained that, aside from the elections, the move was to strengthen the nation's foundation to better serve the people.

"It is very gratifying to see that the big and influential and historical national parties of the Philippines have come to answer that call for unity," he said.

"If we are spending our time, resources, and energy opposing one another for political means, then we have very little time, resources, and energy left for transforming our country into a better place, for transforming the lives of our people," he added.

Meanwhile, NP chair and former senate president Manny Villar said the formal signing of the alliance was important to show Filipinos that their leaders are putting the country above anything else.

"We need to prove to the Filipino people that we are a nation capable of rising above our differences in order to build a bright future for the country," he said.

"This alliance with the President's political party, the Partido Federal ng Pilipinas, is the right first step towards that glorious direction," he added.