In Miami, First Lady Joins ‘meeting Of The Minds’ To Talk Trump, Global Markets

Ahead of what diplomats and interlocutors hope to be a Spring 2025 visit to the White House by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., it was his wife who made a state-side trip to attend a forum on “pressing topics, including the new Trump administration and its far-reaching effects on the global market.” 

In an Instagram post on Wednesday, March 5, First Lady Liza Marcos said she was in Miami to attend the Applied Underwriters’ “Meeting of the Minds.”

Applied Underwriters offers business services, insurance, and reinsurance solutions to governments, businesses, and individuals, according to its official website. 

Among the panelists in the Miami event was Lara Trump, the daughter-in-law of US President Donald Trump and former co-chair of the Republican National Committee.

“It was interesting to listen to Lara Trump, who shared her thoughts as part of the panel,” said the Philippine First Lady.  

“Engaging with diverse viewpoints always sparks fresh ideas and a clearer understanding of today’s shifting global landscape. Curious to see how these ideas unfold,” she added. 

There’s little information about the “Meeting of the Minds” event online. The save the date card for the event, which Marcos also posted on Instagram, teased: “Where ideas and opportunity abound. Join the rebellious hunt.”

This wouldn’t be the first time for Liza Araneta-Marcos to engage in gatherings overseas. In mid-February 2025, she represented the Philippines at the World Governments Summit 2025 in Dubai. 

In the Philippines, the First Lady’s job is not defined at all. But like in the United States, first ladies typically take on an advocacy of their choice, act as the de facto spokesperson, and advocate for it. 

Araneta-Marcos has spearheaded efforts to renovate and rehabilitate old houses and buildings, including those within the Malacañang compound.

The overseer role seems to be spilling over to the Philippines’ upcoming chairmanship of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in 2026. In her Instagram, the First Lady has been posting about meetings to prepare for the year-long role. 

She need not look far for an example of what a first lady can do — the former first lady Imelda Marcos, her mother-in-law, was both famous and infamous for her influence and the largeness of the role she played during the regime of the late dictator Ferdinand E. Marcos. 

It was Imelda Marcos who first flew to China — with her only son, now-President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., in tow — before formal diplomatic relations were established between Manila and Beijing.

Is First Lady Araneta-Marcos wanting to follow in her footsteps? – Rappler.com