President Aquino to arrive Friday in
Vladivostok, Russia for the 20th APEC Leaders' Meeting
VLADIVOSTOK, Russia: President Benigno S. Aquino
III will arrive here Friday evening to join the other 20 world leaders at the
20th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders' Meeting to be held at
Russkiy Island from September 8 to 9.
President Aquino will be accompanied by a lean
delegation composed of Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario, Trade and
Industry Secretary Gregory Domingo and Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima.
The President, along with the country’s
delegation, will leave Manila for Vladivostok, Russia via a chartered flight
and will arrive at Vladivostok International Airport at 9 p.m. (Vladivostok
time).
He will be welcomed by officials from the
Foreign Ministry Affairs, Russian Federation, Governor of Primorsky Krai region
and Philippine Embassy officials to be led by Ambassador to Moscow Alejandro
Mosquera, Charge d’ Affaires Dinno Oblena, Philippine Embassy in Moscow and
Consul General Yuri Kostyukov of the Philippine Consulate General.
On Saturday (September 8), President Aquino will
have a separate bilateral meetings with the heads of Singapore and Chile at 9
a.m. It will be followed by his attendance to the APEC Leaders retreat session
1 at 3 p.m.
Then the President will also participate in the
APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC) Dialogue with APEC leaders that is a key
feature of the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting (AELM).
Later in the evening, President Aquino will join
the other 20 heads of state and government in the APEC Leaders’ Dinner. Then he
will proceed to a coffee meeting with the Philippine media covering the summit.
On Sunday (September 9), the President will have
a bilateral meeting with the head of Vietnam at 10:15 a.m. It will be followed
by his attendance to the APEC Leaders Retreat Session 2 at 11 a.m.
Later in the afternoon, the President will join
the other leaders at the official family photo opportunity. Before he leaves
for Manila, President Aquino will attend the working lunch with APEC Leaders.
APEC is an organization of economies in the
Asia-Pacific region, and it has 21 members. It is the premier forum for
facilitating economic growth, cooperation, trade and investment in Asia-Pacific
region. PND (co)
Philippine ambassador to Vladivostok cites APEC
Leaders' Meeting as potent venue for country's economic progress and
development
VLADIVOSTOK, Russia: An official of the
Department of Foreign Affairs cited the significance of the country's participation
to this year's 20th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, (APEC) Leaders' Meeting
which, he said, will serve as a venue for facilitating the country's
"economic growth, cooperation, and innovative growth."
The APEC Leaders' Meeting, which will be attended
by 21 world leaders including President Benigno S. Aquino III, will reel off
from September 8 to 9. President Aquino, who will be accompanied by a lean
delegation, will fly here on Friday on board a Philippine Airlines flight PR
001 to join his counterparts attending the APEC Leaders' Summit.
"Well, the significance of our
participation in APEC, you might want to note is that, APEC is a premier forum
for facilitating the economic growth, cooperation, and innovative growth. And
the whole APEC economies comprise of 40 percent of the world's
population," Philippine Ambassador to Russia Alejandro Mosquera said in an
interview here.
Mosquera pointed out that while 44 percent of
the world trade is in the APEC countries, 54 percent of the world's Gross
Domestic Product is also from APEC countries.
"So, definitely, the Philippines will
benefit from its annual participation considering these figures, Mosquera
stressed.
He also mentioned the "very cordial"
bilateral relations between the Philippines and Russia in the last 35 years.
"About our bilateral relations with Russia,
last year, we celebrated the 35th year anniversary of our diplomatic relations
with Russia. And in those years, in the last 35 years we rather have a very
cordial relations with Russia, and the political, economic and socio-cultural
fields," Mosquera said.
He added that in the political field, the
Philippines and Russia have a continuing dialogue and political consultations
every one or two years.
"We have a very good cooperation and
relations in the international fora like the United Nations and the ASEAN. As
you will note, Russia is one of the dialogue partners of ASEAN," Mosquera
noted.
In the economic field, Mosquera said that the
two countries have had a "very good start in the last few years."
"And if you will look at our trade figures,
it seems that we have a lot of things to do there. But we would like to close a
little bit the gap between our trade balance," he said.
On investments, Mosquera extended his invitation
to the Russian business leaders to look into the country's extractive industry
like mining, energy, oil, and gas including infrastructures like those projects
in the Public Private Partnership program.
"Russia has a very extensive experience in
the extractive industry and they also have the technology like in mining and in
the extraction of oil and gas. We would like them also to come and look for
opportunities in our PPP projects, the Public-Private Partnership," he
said adding that they have already started talking to their Russian
counterparts possible agreements in the area of labor and readmission.
According to Mosquera, the number of Russian
tourists coming to the Philippines have also increased from only 4,000 about
four or five years ago, to 21,000 tourist arrivals last year.
Mosquera said that while the Aquino government
would like to see a lot of Russians visiting the Philippines, it also would
like to do business in Russia.
He said that in the middle of September, a group
of exporters of mangoes and other fruits such as fresh bananas from Cebu
"are coming to Vladivostok to talk to potential buyers of our
fruits."
"I'd like to mention that this initiative
comes from Cebu and this has been done through the efforts of the Russian
Honorary Consul in Cebu, Armi Lopez Garia. And I think a lot of things are
still coming up," Mosquera said. PND (rsda)
Preparations are in full swing for the holding
of 20th APEC Leaders' Meeting in Vladivostok, Russia
VLADIVOSTOK, Russia: Preparations are in full
swing as the Russian government would like the world to see Vladivostok as
Russia's "gateway" to the Asia-Pacific for the enormous preparations
that are being made to officially welcome the arrival of the 21 world leaders
including President Benigno S. Aquino III, who will be attending the 20th
Asia-Pacific Economic (APEC) Leaders' Meeting here from September 8 to 9.
President Aquino, who will be accompanied by a
lean delegation, is expected to arrive here Friday evening on board a
Philippine Airlines flight PR001 from Manila.
"As you land in the airport, you will
immediately notice that there is a brand new airport, new airport preparations
for the APEC. And then as you drive through the streets, as you drive to a
highway, you will notice new infrastructure. And the city has been spruced up,
new infrastructure has been made," Philippine Ambassador to Russia
Alejandro Mosquera said in an interview.
"And as you go closer, you will notice a
huge bridge to the Russkiy Island, which is the site of the conference, and a
lot of efforts. I would say it's an engineering feat to build this hanging
bridge which they called cable-stayed bridge, the bridge that connects the
mainland Vladivostok to Russkiy Island," he added.
Mosquera noted that before the imposing bridge
was constructed, Russkiy Island used to be just a barren island with some small
villages, fishing villages. And now as you can see, it is a sprawling complex
of hotels and convention centers.
He, however, said that immediately after the
APEC conference, the Russian government will convert these facilities into a
Far Eastern Federal University.
Mosquera also said that during the APEC Leaders'
Meeting, he is expecting an announcement that the Philippines will be hosting
the 2015 APEC conference.
"I think our participation here or
attendance here will give us an idea of how preparations are made," he
said adding that the Philippines already had the experience when it hosted the
APEC Summit in 1996 in Subic.
"But our experience here, of course, will
give us an idea of how we are going to prepare the infrastructure, the human
resource that is needed, the needs of the delegates, other areas like
facilities -- hotels, services, restaurants," the Philippine envoy to
Russia explained.
During the interview, Mosquera also cited the
growing number of Filipinos working in Russia, which he said, are mostly
students and professionals.
"They (professionals) are connected with
the multinationals here or big Russian private companies," he said noting
that that aside from the professional Filipinos working here, there are chefs
working in big hotels and restaurants, household service workers, technical
people, engineers, pipe fitters, equipment operators, welders and other skilled
workers.
"In the whole of Russia, we have estimated
that there are more than two thousand Filipinos. Most of our kababayans are
situated or residing in the Moscow area.
Mosquera also acknowledged that there are
Filipino workers from Cebu in Vladivostok working as service workers in
restaurants and hotels.
He also mentioned the 10 Filipinos who are
presently married to Russian nationals in Vladivostok.
He told the Filipino workers that the Philippine
Embassy in Russia is always ready to help them.
"Sa ating mga kababayan dito sa Russia,
gusto ko lang ipaabot na kami sa embahada ay laging handa para tumulong sa inyo
at nandyan lagi kami. Twenty four hours, puwede ninyo kaming tawagan, meron
kaming hotline. At kapag kayo may mga pangangailangan, huwag na
magdalawang-isip basta pumunta o tumawag lang kayo sa embahada, nandyan kami at
handa kaming lahat tumulong sa inyo," Mosquera said. PND (rsda)
President Aquino to hold bilateral meetings with
leaders of Singapore, Chile and Vietnam at the sidelines of APEC Leaders'
Meeting in Vladivostok, Russia
VLADIVOSTOK, Russia: In an effort to further
strengthen bilateral relations with other countries, President Benigno S.
Aquino III will have a one-on-one meeting with some of his counterparts here
when he attends the 20th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders'
Meeting.
President Aquino, who will arrive here Friday
evening along with his delegation, will hold separate bilateral meetings with
the heads of Singapore, Chile and Vietnam, at the sidelines of the APEC
Economic Leaders’ Meeting (AELM) here on Russkiy Island on September 8 and 9.
The President will meet first with the heads of
Singapore and Chile on Saturday at 9 a.m. (Vladivostok time) before he proceeds
to the APEC Leaders Retreat Session 1 to join the other 20 world leaders.
The President will likewise participate in the
APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC) Dialogue with APEC leaders, which is a
key feature of the AELM. He will also join the other world leaders in the APEC
Leaders’ Dinner.
On Sunday (September 9), the President will meet
with the head of Vietnam at 10:15 a.m. Then the Chief Executive will attend the
APEC Leaders Retreat Session 2 at 11 a.m.
Later in the afternoon, the President will join
the other leaders at the official family photo opportunity. Before going back
to Manila, the President will attend the working lunch with APEC Leaders.
The President’s delegation includes Foreign
Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario, Trade and Industry Secretary Gregory
Domingo and Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima. PND (rsda)
President Aquino and 20 other world leaders to
discuss four priority areas during the APEC Leaders' Meeting in Vladivostok,
Russia
VLADIVOSTOK, Russia: President Benigno S. Aquino
III and the other 20 world leaders will meet on Saturday (September 8) for the
20th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders' Meeting to discuss four
priority areas for 2012 set by Russia, this year's country host.
President Aquino and the Philippine delegation
will arrive Friday to attend the APEC Leaders’ meeting at the Far Eastern
Federal University on Russkiy Island here, the venue for the summit.
The theme of this year's meeting is
"Integrate to Grow, Innovate to Prosper."
Foreign Affairs Undersecretary for International
Economic Relations Laura del Rosario said that the four priorities to be
tackled during the APEC Leaders’ Meeting include trade and investment
liberalization and regional economic integration.
The three other priority areas that the APEC
leaders will also discuss during the meeting are the strengthening food
security, establishing reliable supply chains, and cooperation to foster
innovative growth.
While in Vladivostok, President Aquino will also
participate in the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC) Dialogue with APEC
leaders, which is a key feature of the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting (AELM).
During the ABAC Dialogue, ABAC members are
expected to discuss with APEC leaders the entire year’s ABAC work program and
to raise issues of pressing concern to the business community.
ABAC Philippines will be represented by A.
Magsaysay Inc. President and Chief Executive Officer Doris Magsaysay, Jollibee
Food Corp. Chairman and CEO Tony Tan Caktiong, and Ayala Corp. Chairman and CEO
Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala.
During an interview with Radio Television
Malacanang, Undersecretary del Rosario said that the preparations for the
hosting of the APEC 2015 by the Philippines will start next year. PND (co)
Aquino declares September 8 a special
non-working day in Digos City in the province of Davao del Sur
President Benigno S. Aquino III has declared
September 8 which falls on a Saturday as a special (non-working day) in the
city of Digos in the province of Davao del Sur in celebration of its 12th
Foundation Day.
The Chief Executive issued the declaration through
Proclamation No. 444 signed by Executive Secretary Paquito N. Ochoa Jr. on July
26 to give the people of Digos City the full opportunity to celebrate and
participate in the occasion with appropriate ceremonies.
Republic Act No. 8798 formally declared Digos as
a component city of the province of Davao del Sur. The cityhood of Digos was
ratified by the Digoseños in a plebiscite held on September 8, 2000. PND (js)
Palace welcomes DBM, Supreme Court meeting over
budget allocation
Malacanang welcomed the meeting Wednesday
between Budget Secretary Florencio Abad and the Supreme Court leadership saying
the move will resolve the differences between the two branches of the
government over High Court's budget.
In a regular press briefing in Malacanang on
Thursday, Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said the meeting only tackles
the budget of the Supreme Court (SC) and the executive branch has sent the
message about its willingness to work with the SC on that issue.
“The meeting yesterday was a positive step
towards resolving issues between the SC and the DBM,” Lacierda said adding it
was an opportunity for the Supreme Court and the justices to clear any concerns
on both sides so that they will have a clearer understanding of how the budget
process works.
“Secretary Abad visited the Supreme Court and so
it’s better for the two parties to be discussing this issue on the budget.
Again, let me emphasize we’re talking only of the budget. There’s no
encroachment on the independence of the judiciary. We respect the fiscal
autonomy of the judiciary,” he explained.
Abad met SC Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno
including the 11 other SC Justices to talk about the judiciary’s budget. It is
the first time for a Budget Secretary to go to the Supreme Court to discuss
budget issues.
Abad said this week that his office is ready to
provide budgetary support for transparency and accountability efforts by the SC
particularly with respect to its digitization initiatives, which includes the
creation of an online system that will track the progress of cases including
their jurisdiction.
The budget department also proposes the creation
of an internal and integrated Human Resources and payroll management system in
the SC as well as maintaining a more active and responsive online presence
through its website as well as in social networks. PND (as)
Palace welcomes country's ranking in Global
Competitiveness report of World Economic Forum
The 2012-2013 Global Competitiveness Report that
showed the country climbing another 10 notches to 65th spot is a manifestation
of the upward trajectory of the Philippine economy, noted Presidential
Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda in a statement Thursday.
The Philippines has climbed another 10 notches
to 65th out of 144 economies, according to the Global Competitiveness Report
2012/2013, a yearly publication of the World Economic Forum.
"This marked improvement builds on last
year’s impressive jump from 85th to 75th, or an advance of 20 places since the
country ushered in a new management two years ago," said Lacierda.
The report lists significant improvements in key
indicators, most especially for institutions or governance and the
macroeconomic environment, according to Lacierda.
"Notable gains were made with respect to
Philippine public institutions (94th, up 23 places) and public trust in
politicians (95th, up 33). This represents a steady renewal of social trust and
the strengthening of our institutions as a result of the reforms the Aquino
administration has pursued since 2010," he said.
"Contributing to this favorable ranking are
strong scores in transparency in policy formation (up 23) and fairness in
awarding of contracts (up 19). Improvements were also noted in minimizing the
following: diversion of public funds (up 27), wastefulness of government
spending (up 23), and irregular payments or bribes (up 11)," he continued.
Citing the report, Lacierda noted the judicial
situations, however, continued to be rated low. "Ranked 111th, the quality
of judicial decisions in particular will have to be addressed by the new
leadership of our courts," he said.
"Meanwhile, the macroeconomic environment
(36th, up 18) has also sustained its gains with budget management, national
savings rate, and general government debt all rating high," he said.
"These significant gains in the
competitiveness of the Philippines are concrete affirmations of the success of
the reforms, which we continue to implement and foster," he said. PND
(js/2:19pm)
Aquino urges Federation of Fishing and Allied
Industries to continue contributing to country's efforts in sustainable
development and nation building
President Benigno S. Aquino III called on
traders involved in fishing, canning, fish processing, aquaculture production
and processing, and other allied industries to remain united and steadfast in
their efforts to keep their sector as a leading contributor to the country's
goal of food security.
"With creativity and persistence, we can
seize the opportunities that also accompany the complex task of sustainable
development," the Chief Executive said in his message to the SOCSKSARGEN
(South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani and General Santos City) Federation
of Fishing and Allied Industries, Inc. (SFFAII) on the occasion of its 14th
National Tuna Congress.
The 14th National Tuna Congress opened on
September 6 at the Family Country Hotel and Convention Center, General Santos
City. The event would end on Sept. 7.
"We Filipinos have our varied roles in
nation-building, in advancing our combined initiatives towards realizing a
comprehensive program for progress. Let us be dedicated in our endeavors to the
cause of our collective welfare in all its crucial facets, including the wise
and thorough stewardship of our natural heritage," President Aquino said.
The Chief Executive hopes that the federation
will be able to seek solutions to the challenges being encountered by its
sector to achieve its goal to remain as a vital industry in the global market.
The federation is a non-government, non-profit
organization, established in 1999 as an umbrella organization of 7 associations
with a total of over 100 companies involved in fishing, canning, fish
processing, aquaculture production & processing and other allied
industries. (js)
Government reforms make Philippines more
attractive to investors, Palace says
The continuing reforms initiated by the Aquino
administration will ensure that growth momentum will continue as more
businesses come in to invest in the Philippines, a Palace official said.
“The presence of President Aquino is number one.
His leadership, his leadership by example, the fact that he is clearly known to
the world as not susceptible to corruption is a big incentive, is in and of
itself an institutional reform to governance,” Presidential spokesman Edwin
Lacierda said in a regular press conference in Malacanang on Thursday.
Lacierda was responding to questions on how the
Aquino administration ensures that the economic growth is not aborted like what
happened in previous administrations.
Also, Lacierda said the present administration
has established certain laws, for instance, the Governance Commission for
Government-owned and controlled corporations (GOCCs) that reformed how
government corporations are run.
The government is also carrying out the
Philippine Business Registration at the national government, while local
governments, on the other hand, have streamlined their business process
licensing systems making such transactions friendlier with investors.
The administration is also after greater
transparency in government procedures, Lacierda said and part of this is the
publication of informations through the Official Gazette.
“Now you can see all government information—at
least most government information—all posted in the Official Gazette. This is
in line with the President’s program of transparency. And also, in the local
level, we have encouraged participation from the CSOs. These are things which
we believe have promoted reforms from within,” he said.
“In addition, we have also posted our budgets
online," he continued, as the Secretary of Budget and Management has
instituted that the national budget be posted on the internet.
The Philippines improved its global
competitiveness ranking to No. 65 out of 144 economies this year from No. 75
the year before. However, the country still trails other Southeast Asian
neighbors such as Singapore (2nd), Malaysia (25th), Thailand (38th) and
Indonesia (50th).
The World Economic Forum (WEF), which did the
ranking noted that the Philippines was one of few countries that had the most
improvements in this year’s ranking, and has advanced 22 places since reaching
its lowest mark in 2009.
The Philippines made important strides in
improving competitiveness in areas such as managing public institutions, trust
in the country’s leaders, as well as in eliminating corruption and red tape,
the World Economic Forum noted. (as)
