President Aquino receives Special Envoy of the
Amir of Kuwait in Malacañang
President Benigno S. Aquino III received Dr.
Yousef Al Ebraheem, Special Envoy of the Amir of Kuwait, in Malacanang on
Monday.
The special envoy paid his courtesy call on the
Chief Executive during a simple ceremony held at the Music Room of Malacanang
Palace. He was accompanied by His Excellency Waleed Ahmad Al-Kandari,
Ambassador of the State of Kuwait to the Philippines.
Also in attendance were Foreign Affairs
Secretary Albert F. del Rosario and Assistant Secretary Petronila Garcia, of
the Department of Foreign Affairs.
The meeting is aimed at further strengthening
the growing relations between the State of Kuwait and the Philippines.
The State of Kuwait is one of country's leading
investment and development partners in the Middle East. The Philippines opened
the Philippine Trade and Investment Center in Kuwait City in 2009 to boost
economic cooperation and facilitate several business matching conferences
between the Filipino and Kuwaiti businessmen. PND (js)
President Aquino welcomes members of Asian
Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions in Malacañang
President Benigno S. Aquino III welcomed Monday
the members of the Asian Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions (ASOSAI) as
he expressed hope that their activities in the Philippines will give them
additional knowledge and experience for the benefit of their respective
countries.
“I am sure that you, as members of the Asian
Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions, understand just how important this
kind of transparency is: every single peso—every yen, ringgit, or baht—must be
accounted for, as we are spending this money on behalf of our people,” the
President said in his speech before the ASOSAI members Malacanang.
“And since we are all in public service, each
and every expenditure must have a corresponding value—a value that redounds to
the benefit of our people," he said.
The President noted that over the next few days,
he expects the participants to have ample opportunity to talk about both their
success stories and the challenges they have encountered.
The President also cited the unity of the organization
in its desire to foster integrity in governance.
During his speech, the President underscored the
importance of treading the “straight path” that his administration champions
adding that by doing the right thing the government could immediately uplift
the condition of the people and attain inclusive growth.
“This path is one we cannot tread alone: for the
nation to move forward as a whole, everyone must do their part, from those of
us in government to the private sector,” he stressed.
The Commission on Audit (COA) helped the
administration correct excesses in the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage
System (MWSS), which gave exorbitant bonuses and allowances.
The discovery of the anomaly allowed the
government to make important changes in the way that these corporations were
run to ensure integrity, accountability, and transparency in government
agencies.
According to the President, the Philippines is
fortunate that with the COA, so many other countries continue to come together
under an atmosphere of cooperation to help each other move forward.
“After all, no matter what country we are from,
no matter what position we occupy, we are all called upon to serve with
integrity, and to perform our duties to the best of our abilities,” he said.
ASOSAI is one of the Regional Groups of the
International Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions (INTOSAI).
Established in 1979, ASOSAI has 45 members
composed of charter members, members and associate members. PND (as)
President Aquino meets with officials of
Mitsubishi Corporation in Malacanang
President Benigno S. Aquino III welcomed the
officials of Mitsubishi Motors Corporation (MMC), one of Japan's leading
automakers, led by its President Osamu Masuko in Malacanang on Monday.
Masuko and other officials of the MMC paid their
courtesy call on the Chief Executive in ceremonies held at the Music Room of
the Malacanang Palace on Monday. Also present was Yoji Sato, president of the
Sojitz Corporation of Japan.
Trade and Industry Secretary Gregory Domingo
joined President Aquino in welcoming the Japanese visitors.
Last year, Masuko also visited the Philippines
to attend the launching of the company’s latest model, the All-New Mirage
subcompact hatchback. He did not discount the possibility of Mitsubishi
investing in new models in the Philippines.
Mitsubishi Motors Philippines Corp. expressed
confidence that the company will perform even better in 2013 as the country is
currently experiencing significant economic growth.
The Philippines’ gross domestic product (GDP)
grew by 6.8 percent in the 4th quarter of 2012 that paved the way for the
annual GDP to post a faster-than-expected annual growth of 6.6 percent. PND
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