President Aquino leaves for Davos, Switzerland
for World Economic Forum
President
Benigno S. Aquino III left for Switzerland on board a chartered Philippine Air
Lines flight Wednesday night to join world and international business leaders
in the annual World Economic Forum (WEF) that is being held in Davos.
The
President, who was joined by a 63-member delegation led by Foreign Affairs
Secretary Albert del Rosario, Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima, Budget
Secretary Florencio Abad, Trade Secretary Gregory Domingo, National Economic
and Development Authority head Arsenio Balisacan, and Cabinet Secretary Rene
Almendras, boarded their flight at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport
Terminal 2 a little past 11 p.m.
In his
departure speech, the President said his attendance to the WEF will provide an
opportunity to showcase before European and international business leaders the
accomplishments of his administration in implementing widespread and meaningful
reforms in governance.
“Isang
pagkakataon ito upang mailatag natin sa harap ng mga pinuno sa Europa at iba
pang bansa ang malawakan at makabuluhang reporma na lumalaganap sa ating
bayan,” the President said.
“Bibigyang-mukha natin ang magagandang
balitang nasasagap nila mula sa mga banyagang telebisyon at pahayagan, at
ipapaliwanag kung paano natin napapa-arangkada ang ekonomiya bunsod ng tuwid na
pamamahala,” he added.
He said
he would particularly highlight the gains achieved by the Philippine economy
that was able to post a 7.1 percent growth rate during the third quarter of
2012, the second highest in the region, the strengthening of the peso, the
lowering of interest rates, and the surging Philippine Stock Exchange index.
He said
that because of the improved conditions in the country, he would exhaust every
moment to invite potential investors to put up their businesses in the
Philippines and take advantage of the industry and brilliance of the Filipino.
“Napapanahon nga po ang pagtungo natin sa
Switzerland. Sa nararanasan pong paghina ng ekonomiya sa ilang bahagi ng
Europa, sasamantalahin natin ang bawat sandali upang hikayatin silang mamuhunan
sa Pilipinas, at tumaya sa angking sipag, husay at pagkamalikhain ng Pilipino.
Gayundin, buong-sigasig nating ipapakilala ang ating bansa bilang napakaganda
at kaaya-ayang lugar, na talaga namang babalik-balikan ng mga turista,” the
President said.
He added
that his attendance to the WEF and the corresponding chances to meet with his
counterparts from Europe and the world would allow them to further strengthen
relations.
“Dahil
minsan lang magkasama-sama ang mga pinuno ng maraming bansa sa iisang lokasyon,
hindi rin po natin mapapalampas ang pagkakataong patibayin ang ating ugnayan sa
mga bansa sa Europa. Makikiisa tayo sa pagpanday ng mga solusyon sa ating mga
suliranin, na may implikasyon sa hinaharap ng iba’t ibang rehiyon, nang hindi
kinakailangang bumiyahe sa bawat isang bansa. Ipapakita natin---maaasahan
tayong kabalikat sa anumang larangan, lalong-lalo na sa pagtataguyod ng
pag-unlad na sumasaklaw sa kapakanan ng mas nakakarami sa halip na interes ng
iilan lamang,” the President said. PND (rck)
President Aquino brings good news from home to
Filipino workers in Switzerland
PRESIDENT
Benigno S. Aquino expressed excitement about the chance to meet overseas
Filipino workers at the sidelines of his trip to Davos, Switzerland to attend
the World Economic Forum (WEF).
The
President said in his departure speech before boarding a chartered Philippine
Air Lines flight at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 2 on
Wednesday night that not even the cold weather in this European country could
hinder the warm reception his compatriots are expected to accord him when he
meets them on Saturday.
“Siyempre, hindi naman po tayo masyadong
mangungulila sa Switzerland dahil makakasama rin natin ang ating mga kababayan
sa Zurich,” the President said.
“Tiyak
pong hindi natin iindahin ang lamig ng panahon doon, dahil pihadong tatapatan
ito ng mainit na pagtanggap ng ating mga kapwa Pilipino,” he added.
He said
he would take time to personally extend his and the heartfelt thanks of the
country for their sacrifice which not only has helped their respective families
here but the Philippine economy as well.
“Ipapaabot natin sa kanila ang ating
pasasalamat sa malaki nilang ambag sa pag-angat ng ekonomiya, hindi lamang ng
Switzerland, kundi pati na rin dito sa ating bansa,” the President said.
“Ang
pasalubong natin para sa kanila: magagandang balita sa ating bayan, at ang
ligtas at matiwasay na kalagayan ng kanilang mga mahal sa buhay,” he added.
There are
an estimated 10,000 OFWs living and working in Switzerland. PND (rck)
Palace pays tribute to former President Corazon
C. Aquino in commemoration of her 80th birth anniversary
The
Aquino government will publish a multimedia historical series on former
President Corazon C. Aquino, the undying symbol of our nation’s freedom, in
commemoration of her 80th birth anniversary on Friday (January 25), a Palace
official said.
"As
a tribute to her unshakable determination to defend our hard-earned democracy,
the Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning Office
(PCDSPO) will publish a multimedia historical series on President Corazon C.
Aquino as commander-in-chief and defender of the Fifth Republic,"
Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said in a statement during the regular
press briefing in Malacanang on Thursday.
Lacierda
invited the public to visit the Official Gazette website: www.gov.ph to see the
official Presidential Management Staff narrative entitled “The Aquino
Management of the Presidency: In face of crisis” which forms part of the overall
official history of the Aquino administration.
The
PCDSPO will make available online through www.gov.ph the full report of the
Davide Commission which was tasked to investigate the 1989 coup attempt.
"This online observance seeks to
perpetuate the greatness of the Filipino people personified by the widow,
dressed in yellow, who defended and nurtured our democratic institutions that
she and countless Filipinos restored and rebuilt," Lacierda said.
"A
generation after our newly restored democracy faced some of the most serious
and bloodiest challenges to democracy and civilian supremacy, we pause in
homage to the soldiers and civilians who lost their lives in defense of
constitutional government.
Let us
never forget those who died so that democracy may live," Lacierda
stressed. PND (js)
President Aquino arrives in Davos, Switzerland
ZURICH,
Switzerland) Amidst a cool and chilly weather, President Benigno S. Aquino III
arrived Thursday morning on board a chartered Philippine Airlines flight PR001
at the Zurich-Kloten International Airport here to attend the annual meeting of
the World Economic Forum (WEF) from January 23 to 27 in Davos, Switzerland.
The
President's visit to Switzerland is his first since he took office in June
2010.
The
President, who arrived here at 6:38 a.m. (Zurich time), was accompanied by a
63-member delegation led by Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario,
Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima, Socio-economic Planning Secretary Arsenio
Balisacan, and Trade and Industry Gregory Domingo, and Budget and Management
Secretary Florencio Abad and Secretary to the Cabinet of the President Jose
Rene Almendras.
He was
welcomed by Philippine Ambassador to Switzerland Leslie Baja; Permanent
Representative to the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland Evan Garcia, and
Permanent Representative to the World Trade Organization in Geneva, Switzerland
Esteban Cornejos.
Following
a simple arrival ceremony, the President and his delegation were immediately
whisked to Davos, Switzerland, venue of this year's WEF annual meeting.
After a
brief respite, the President immediately buckled down to work by meeting with
the top executive officers of Volkswagen, a German car manufacturer, in efforts
to attract more business investments for the Philippines.
Volkswagen expressed it's interest to
reestablish it's operations in the Philippines.
Volkswagen, which means "people's
car," is a German automobile manufacturer based in Wolfburg, Lower Saxony,
Germany. It is the original and top-selling marque of the Volkswagen Group, the
biggest German automaker and the second biggest automaker in the world.
Aside
from his attendance at several WEF activities, the President will also meet
separately with Christine Lagarde, managing director of the International
Monetary Fund and Klaus Schwab, founder and executive chairman of the World
Economic Forum.
He is
also scheduled to be interviewed by John Defterios, editor, Cable News Network
Emerging Markets and anchor of Global Exchange.
Before he
leaves for Manila, following his attendance at WEF's annual meeting, the
President will personally touch base with the members of the Filipino community
during a "meet and greet" at the Zurich Renaissance Hotel to oversee
their condition in their adopted country.
During
his meeting with them, the President is expected to brief them on the positive
developments of the country during the last two and a half years. PND (rda)
Palace confident of sustaining soaring tourist
arrivals
Malacanang said it is confident that the
government could sustain the growing influx of tourists coming to the
Philippines after posting four million arrivals for 2012
The
Philippines has surpassed the four million visitor arrival mark for 2012
posting a total of 4,272,811 foreign visitors last year. This figure is a 9.07
percent increase from a total of 3,917,454 visitors recorded in 2011.
Among the
government thrusts to sustain this momentum is to expand the country’s
infrastructure particularly in the tourism sector, Presidential spokesman Edwin
Lacierda saeid in a press briefing in Malacanang on Thursday.
Another
plan is to remove the common carriers tax so that more tourists come in, he said,
adding however that the move would also mean foregoing foreground revenue of
about P1.1 billion.
“We
expect more tourists to come in and they will be spending more here in the
Philippines. That’s why we have been making sure that we are prepared for the
onslaught of tourists and that’s the promise of Secretary Mon Jimenez,”
Lacierda said.
“We are
doing that. Secretary Jun Abaya is also making sure that infrastructure for
tourism will be in place.”
With
regards to concerns on enough number of hotels and vehicles for the tourists,
Lacierda acknowledged the problem noting the issues are already being addressed
by concerned government agencies.
“Insofar
as the hotels are concerned, we have the Entertainment City—kasama na ‘yun. Ang
sa transportation, that’s also being addressed; kasama rin doon ang traffic
situation,” Lacierda explained.
While the
Philippines was able to breach the four million mark, it fell short of its
4.6-million tourist arrival target.
The
Department of Tourism (DOT) said this shortfall is due to economic and
political uncertainties in the country’s traditional markets such as US, Europe
and China.
The DOT
however expressed confidence that it is on track in achieving its goal of 10
million tourist arrivals by 2016.
South Korea
remains the biggest market for the Philippines, according to the DOT. South
Korea is the first country to contribute one million visitors in 2012, it said.
The US
ranked second with 625,626 visitors, followed by Japan with 412,474 visitors.
PND (as)
