President Aquino arrives in Germany
(BERLIN, Germany) President Benigno Aquino III
arrived here on Friday for the last leg of his four-nation tour in Europe to
meet top German officials and business executives.
President Aquino touched down at the Berlin
Tegel Airport here at 10:45 a.m. (4:45 p.m. Manila time) and motored to the
Federal Chancellery, the official residence of Germany’s Chancellor, where
arrival honors were afforded to him.
The President was welcomed by German Federal
Chancellor Dr. Angela Merkel, after which a working lunch will follow between
the two leaders. A joint press conference is scheduled after the meeting of
President Aquino and Chancellor Merkel.
Later in the day, the President will receive
German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier on a courtesy call, followed by
a meeting with German Federal President Joachim Gauck at the Schloss Bellevue,
the official residence of Germany’s Federal President.
President Aquino is also scheduled to sit down
with key officials of SAP SE, which provides business management software to
more than 261,000 customers in 190 countries. It is the world’s third largest
software company next to Microsoft and Oracle.
From the business meetings, the President will
deliver a speech at the Policy Forum organized with Koerber Stiftung (or Koerber
Foundation) and Asia-Pacific Committee of German Business (APA).
The Koerber Foundation, which was established in
1959, is known for its regular conduct of dialogues, project grants and award
programs for the promotion of German and European foreign policy, particularly
in Asia, Europe and the Middle East, in the fields of education, science, civil
welfare and music.
The Asia-Pacific Committee of German Business
voices the concerns of German businesses to policy-makers in Germany and the
Asia-Pacific region through summits and country visit exchanges.
The President will witness the ceremonial
signing of the Supply and Install Agreement for QualiMed Projects between
Mercado General Hospital, Inc. (MGHI) and Siemens, Inc. Philippines.
Marcus Wallenberg of Investor AB will pay a
courtesy call on the President. Investor AB is a Swedish investment company
founded in 1916.
President Aquino will then meet the Filipino
community in Berlin. PND (jb)
President Aquino sees 2015 a banner year for
Philippine economy
(PARIS, France) Given the unprecedented investor
confidence enjoyed by the Philipppines, President Benigno S. Aquino III on
Thursday said he expects 2015 to be a banner year for the country.
Speaking before a forum organized by the French
Institute for International Relations here, President Aquino said all the
factors needed to allow the country to build the momentum are already in place.
“Given the unprecedented confidence enjoyed by
our country, we expect 2015 to be a banner year. After all, the factors that
can allow us to build on our momentum are in place,” President Aquino said,
adding that the country is entering a demographic sweet spot by 2015, which
will last for around 35 years.
“We have been investing in our greatest
resource—our people, resulting in an expanding, productive labor force now even
more prepared to seize all the opportunities,” he said.
President Aquino also said the Philippines has a
strategic location and vast potential to be a crucial hub of trade, investments
and services.
During his speech, the President cited the
administration’s significant achievements in terms of improving the lives of
Filipinos, as well as the reforms in key government agencies. "Together
with ensuring that government would no longer be a party to wasting our
people’s hard-earned money, we introduced landmark reform to agencies once
known as hotbeds of corruption,” he said.
According to President Aquino, his
administration’s commitment to good governance is now bearing fruit, and that
the money that once went to the corrupt now goes to massive investments into
the Filipino people.
“All these investments were made to ensure that
the Filipino people, who are our greatest competitive advantage, are enabled to
make the most of opportunities borne of renewed confidence in our country,” he
said. "Indeed, good governance has redounded to a more capable and more
active citizenry full of hope and optimism, and the combination of an increasingly-competitive
population and a sustainable, prudently-run economy, has gained global
notice,"
This was affirmed by the investment grade status
given by Moody’s, Fitch and Standard and Poor’s, he said, and just recently by
Korea's National Information and Credit Evaluation Ratings, Inc. The French
Export Credit Agency has likewise upgraded the country’s risk rating.
“All this happened at a time when agencies have
been very conservative with their evaluations due to an uncertain global
economic climate. In fact, even in a period when various countries were being
downgraded, the Philippines emerged as the world’s most upgraded sovereign,” he
said.
“It is clear: good governance is good economics.
Again, let me emphasize that this is not an empty pronouncement. Our Business
Process Management Sector continues to mark impressive growth; manufacturing
has rebounded impressively; and tourists all over the world are flocking to our
beaches and cities, seeing for themselves how truly it is more fun in the Philippines,”
he added.
Prior to his attendance to the forum, President
Aquino visited the facility of Dassault Systèmes, a 3DEXPERIENCE company.
During the visit, the President toured the 3Ds Paris campus and witnessed
simulations on urban planning and disaster risk reduction. PND (co)
Filipino speaking French-African amazes
President Aquino in Paris
(PARIS, France) A six-foot-five-inch
French-African man became an instant celebrity when he caught the attention of
President Benigno Aquino III in one of his engagements here on Thursday.
The President delivered a policy statement at
the French Institute for International Relations (or IFRI, Institut Francais
des Relations Internationales) when he met the 26-year-old Wesley Romain.
Romain surprised President Aquino when the
former asked him questions in Filipino.
In the conversation, the President told Romain
that his height would be a good advantage if he joins the Philippine basketball
team.
“Gusto ko pero hindi ako magaling,” said Romain.
Romain learned to speak Filipino when he studied
at the University of the Philippines in Diliman as an exchange student for
international studies.
He said he has become interested in the
“peace-building issues” in Mindanao that was why he went to the Philippines to
study.
Romain requested for a picture with the
President after the event, which Aquino warmly welcomed.
Romain also caught the attention of the media
who even likened him to NBA superstar Kevin Durant. PND (jb)
Germany backs Philippines' position to settle
territorial disputes peacefully
(BERLIN, Germany) President Benigno S. Aquino
III and German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Friday agreed that the territorial
disputes in the South China Sea must be settled peacefully in accordance with
international law.
President Aquino, who is in Germany for the last
leg of his four-nation European tour, met with Chancellor Merkel at the Federal
Chancellery, the official residence of the German leader.
“On this note, as regards the territorial and
maritime disputes in Southeast Asia, the Chancellor and I share the conviction
that these must be settled peacefully and should be based on international
law,” the President said in a press conference after his talks with Merkel.
Chancellor Merkel supported the Philippines’
position to seek resolution of disputes in accordance with international law,
including United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
The German leader said both countries share the
concerns on the increasing tensions in the region. “We believe in good,
pragmatic approaches. But we also believe in solid, legal settlements of the
disputes,” she said during a press conference.
“So I think the international dispute settlement
arrangements that we have on the basis of UNCLOS is a very good way forward in
order to settle those differences,” Chancellor Merkel added.
During a forum organized by French Institute for
International Relations in Paris on Thursday, President Aquino underscored the
importance of maintaining peace and stability in Southeast Asia. "We
continue to invite other claimant countries to join us, to accelerate the
resolution of this very long standing dispute, which has lately caused much
tension in our region,” the President said.
“The international community as a whole stands
to gain when the rule of law is upheld—for only through such legal mechanisms
can a truly just and stable world order be ensured,” he added.
According to President Aquino, the European Union
leaders have also manifested their support for the resolution of disputes in
the South China Sea based on the rule of law.
The Philippines is pushing for the
implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China
Sea towards the conclusion of the binding Code of Conduct in the South China
Sea. PND (co)
Phl. Germany ink agreements on social security,
technical vocational training, trade
(BERLIN, Germany) Bilateral relations between
the Philippines and Germany reached another milestone with the signing of
agreements on social security, technical vocational training and trade.
During the press conference with German
Chancellor Angela Merkel at the Federal Chancellery, President Benigno S.
Aquino said the agreement on social security between the two nations will
contribute to providing a context of equality of treatment in the workplace.
The President said the social security agreement
would also improve the processing of claims and prevent dual coverage, and
would consequently redound to the benefit of both Filipino and German
nationals.
Another is a memorandum of understanding between
the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) and the
Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training, or BIBB, which will
institutionalize regular dialogue and sharing of best practices between
Filipino and German policymakers and experts.
The President said cooperation in technical
vocational education and training “will provide an institutional foundation to
expand practical cooperation between our respective ministries as well as with
the private sector.”
“I am told that German technical expertise were
instrumental in the development of the Philippines’ 'Dual Training System Act
of 1994,' and we continue to harness those expertise towards our mutual gain,”
he said during the press conference.
Meanwhile, President Aquino said a cooperation
in trade through the exchange of drafts that will formally establish the
German-Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Manila, is a welcome sign
now that the Philippines is more open for business.
“With this development, we can see enhanced
trade and investments, especially among the German Mittelstand; it will also
establish the cooperation arrangements with, and between, local German Chambers
in Germany and the Philippines,” he said.
President Aquino said that all of the three
agreements “underscore our common vision to build a Germany and a Philippines
where equitable prosperity and shared development are realities enjoyed by our
peoples.”
“It is this very context that informs our
collective resolve to deepen relations, at a time when we are confronted by
complex challenges and needs that require not only the cooperation and
understanding between our two countries—but that of the entire community of
nations,” he added.
President Aquino is in Germany for the last leg
of his four-nation European tour. PND (co)
Cabinet members to inspect areas affected by
Typhoon ‘Mario’
Members of the Cabinet are scheduled to conduct
an inspection of areas affected by Typhoon Mario, a Malacañang official
announced on Saturday morning.
In a radio interview, Deputy Presidential
Spokesperson Abigail Valte said that members of the Cabinet and the National
Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) will assess the
condition of the typhoon victims.
“Ngayon po, alam ko mag-iikot sila kasama si
NDRRMC Executive Director Alexander Pama, para makapag-conduct po ng inspection
sa mga lugar na naapektuhan at titingnan kung ano pa ang dapat gawin para
tulungan ang mga pamahalaang lokal,” said Valte.
She said that the Cabinet members, among them
Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa, Jr., Interior Secretary Mar Roxas, Defense
Secretary Voltaire Gazmin, Social Welfare Secretary Dinky Soliman, Public Works
Secretary Rogelio Singson, Metro Manila Development Authority Chairman Francis
Tolentino, and Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda, were monitoring the
typhoon from the NDRRMC Headquarters.
“Gusto pa natin i-assure ang ating mga
kababayan, na ang mga miyembro ng official family ng Pangulong Aquino na
nandito sa Pilipinas ay patuloy ang trabaho sa pag-carry out ng instruction ng
ating Pangulong Aquino para sa doon sa mga kababayan natin na inabot ng baha,”
Valte said.
Typhoon Mario has brought continuous rains that
inundated parts of Metro Manila and affected much of northern Luzon. PND (ag)
Filipino community in Boston tells President
Aquino: 'Welcome to your home'
(BOSTON, Massachusetts) The Filipino community
is looking forward to President Benigno S. Aquino III’s two-day visit in this
quaint American town where he is expected to have a reunion of sorts with his
family's closest friends.
President Aquino is known to have spent some of
his formative years here when his family temporarily left the Philippines to
escape the brutal years of Martial Law from the late 70s to early 80s.
Leticia Hermosa, national president of the
Philippine Nurses Association of America, admitted she turned "very
emotional" upon learning of this visit by the President as it made her
recall the fond memories she shared with his iconic parents, the late Senator
Benigno Aquino, Jr. and President Corazon Aquino.
“It’s very, very emotional for me because when
Benigno, the father, went home he really has very, very strong feelings about
doing a good job in the Philippines. And unfortunately, the unfortunate thing
happened, so I was very sad and from then on the Filipino community here in
Boston is looking forward to their visit here.
"[It] started with Cory Aquino, we were
looking forward to her coming back here. And of course, now with President
Aquino, we are embracing (him) with warm welcome… Welcome to your home. This
was his home when he was growing up,” Hermosa said in an interview.
President Aquino is expected to arrive here late
Saturday evening (Sunday morning in Manila) at the Boston Logan International
Airport upon the conclusion of his four-nation Europe tour.
On Sunday (Monday in Manila), President Aquino
will attend a special mass at Boston College’s St. Ignatius Church before being
ushered to the Robsham Theater where the traditional Filipino community
gathering will be held.
President Aquino will also present scholarships
to the recipients of the Benigno and Corazon Aquino Scholarship Foundation
during the same event that will be attended by about 550 Filipinos.
On Monday (Tuesday evening in Manila), President
Aquino will meet with Democrat Representative Joseph Patrick Kennedy III (4th
District, Massachusetts). This will be followed by a series of business
meetings with the chief executive officers of Conair Corporation, Stanley Black
& Decker, Inc., and FIS Global.
After which, President Aquino will deliver a
policy speech at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government and he’s
also expected to grant an interview with its campus journalists.
President Aquino will then depart Boston for New
York City to attend the United Nations Climate Change Summit and pursue his
other scheduled activities there before flying back home to Manila. PND (hdc)
Philippines, Germany agree to address worsening
effects of climate change
(BERLIN, Germany) President Benigno S. Aquino
III underscored the need for cooperation between developed and developing
countries to combat the destructive effects of climate change, citing the
devastation caused by Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines.
During a press conference with German Chancellor
Angela Merkel following their meeting on Friday, President Aquino emphasized
the shared determination of both nations to address the adverse impacts of
climate change.
“This commitment to upholding the welfare of
peoples is also reflected in our shared determination to address the worsening
effects of climate change,” President Aquino said.
“Typhoon Haiyan showed that, now more than ever,
the cooperation between developed and developing nations is an imperative,”
said the President, whose visit to Berlin was part of his fourth and last stop
of a European tour.
President Aquino further stated that the
humanitarian assistance and disaster response are essential components of the
two nations’ cooperation.
During their meeting, the President said that he
and Chancellor Merkel discussed “how our partnership can be enhanced through
building climate-resilient communities.”
He also thanked Germany for its generous
assistance in the aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan that hit the country in November
2013 and left thousands of people dead in Eastern Visayas.
“As we work to build back better, Germany
continues to extend its generous assistance to my people,” President Aquino
said.
“On behalf of my countrymen, I thank the Federal
Republic of Germany once more for being a true friend to our people. Indeed,
your nation’s clear expression of solidarity with my countrymen will always be
remembered and appreciated,” he said. PND (co)
President Aquino oversees storm situation in
Manila, sees no reason to cancel US trip
(BERLIN, Germany) President Benigno Aquino III
said he is overseeing government efforts in dealing with the effects of Typhoon
Mario and sees no reason to cut short his visit in Europe and postpone his engagements
in the United States.
Speaking to reporters during his regular coffee
meeting with the Philippine media delegation here Friday night, President
Aquino said he is constantly getting updates from Executive Secretary Paquito
Ochoa Jr. and other Cabinet secretaries in charge of disaster response and was
told that everything is under control.
“I asked ES (Ochoa) specifically: ‘Do I need to
go home? And he said: Everyone is doing their duties, so there is no reason for
you to cancel your trips,” the President said.
Since the President left the country, two
consecutive storms have entered the Philippines--Typhoons Luis and Mario--that
caused massive flooding in Metro Manila and neighboring provinces, and he said
that he is constantly informed of the status of the typhoon.
He added that food packs have already been
prepositioned in affected areas and people who have been displaced are being
attended to by the Department of Social Welfare and Development.
“I believe they are all ready to respond to the
bad weather situation and everything is being taken care of,” President Aquino
said.
The President is set to fly to the US Saturday
night to address the United Nations Climate Change Summit to be held at the UN
headquarters in New York. PND (jb)
President Aquino receives Friedrich Naumann
freedom medal
(BERLIN, Germany) President Benigno S. Aquino
III was conferred the Freedom Medal by the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for
Freedom (FNF) in recognition of the reforms and good governance agenda put
forward by his administration.
President Aquino received the Freedom Medal and
thanked the FNF for the honor during a simple ceremony held at the new chancery
of the Embassy of the Philippines here in Berlin on Friday.
“I accept with all humility and gratitude on
behalf of our people this distinct honor that you have bestowed upon me, and we
will forever be greatful for the recognition of our efforts in advancing the
cause of all humanity,” the President said.
Dr. Wolfgang Gerhardt, president of FNF,
presented the award to President Aquino and lauded the President for his
successful reforms in the areas of education, fight against corruption and
adherence to the rule of law.
Dr. Gerhardt, during the ceremony, also lauded
President Aquino for being an inspiration and example of leadership to Liberals
around the world.
The Freedom Medal is given to outstanding
politicians who “dedicate themselves in pushing for the liberal agenda and who
stand up in defense of democracy, human rights, and free market economy,
especially in times of crisis. “
Other recipients of the Freedom Medal in the
past were former Bulgarian Prime Minister Simeon Saxe-Coburg Gotha, Western
Cape Prime Minister Helen Zille and Liberal International President Hans van
Baalen.
FNF is a German foundation working for good
governance, human rights and free market economy. PND (co)
