MANILA (PND) - President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo today said the Asian region has what it takes to weather the global economic storm, and it is time to harness region’s potential and give it a “stronger voice” in shaping the world.
“It is time to harness the potential of Asia, to capitalize on its resources and to give the Pan-Asian Region a stronger voice in shaping the world economic order. One way to achieve this is for ASEAN and India to accelerate the negotiations for an ASEAN-India Free Trade Agreement,” the President stressed during her keynote speech at the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between India and the Philippines.
She adds that because of the strength of India and China and others including the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the Asian continent is best situated “to weather the global crisis and come out the strongest compared with other continents like America and Europe.”
The President called on the Filipino-Indian business community and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce (Phils.), Inc. to “make this advocacy as one of your missions for this 60th Anniversary of our relations,” referring to the ASEAN – India Free Trade Agreement.
She also urged the Philippine-Indian business community, whom she called 'partners in economic development, ' to “ensure that our two countries work together to build a more cohesive regional community that will strengthen the economic clout of all nations in our rapidly growing region.”
President Arroyo vowed to work harder to ensure that the Philippines remains a “competitive player within the region” and to attract investments from countries like India, with the support of the Indian business community and the Indian Chambers of Commerce (Phils)., Inc.
“We have invested heavily in improving the quality of the country’s human resources, in lowering transaction flows and the costs of doing business, in developing efficient access to financing, and building a seamless infrastructure network,” the President said.
She noted the ease now of immigration procedures for the Indian business community and the removal of many other types of red tape which “we did away with because you pointed them out to us.”
The President also pointed out that the government is focusing on developing and strengthening industry sectors such as commodities, business process outsourcing and “niche tourism.”
“One of the niche tourism sectors we identified is to invite Indian movie companies in Bollywood to come and do films in the Philippines,” she said.
The President noted, however, that this niche-tourism market has not gotten off the ground due to lack of direct flights between the two countries.
She urged the Philippine-Indian business community to work for the establishment of an air agreement between the two countries and involve airline companies.
“It’s now the economic decision making of the airlines that we must work for, and that would be in the hands of the business community because you are the ones who can assure these airlines that they can make money with the load you will provide with your business activities,” the President said.
She lauded the strong decades-long democratic traditions of the two countries and their role as partners in the continued growth and development of the countries of Asia.
“So, for the next 60 years and even more, may our two peoples continue to work for the deepening of our relationship that has been mutually beneficial to both our countries,” the President said.
PGMA cites need to keep Asian continent as calm and coordinated in the light of global economic crisis
MANILA, May 18 (PNA) – President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on Monday underscored the need to keep the Asian continent as “calm and coordinated” as possible in the midst of the global economic uncertainties.
Citing the strength of India and China as well as other parts in Asia, the President said the Asian continent is best situated to weather the global economic crisis and come up the strongest compared with other continents like America and Europe.
Thus, the Chief Executive said, “it is time to harness the potentials of Asia to capitalize on its resources and to give the Pan-Asian region a stronger voice in shaping the world economic order.
“One way to achieve this goal is for Asian and India to accelerate the negotiation for Asian-India Free Trade Agreement,” the President said as she expressed hope that the members of the Federation of Indian Chamber will make this advocacy as one of their missions for their 60th anniversary of the RP-Indian relations.
She said the Philippine government viewed the Asian neighbors, like India, as partners in economic development.
Thus, she said, the government is counting on the Philippine India business community to ensure that the RP and India work together “to build a more cohesive regional community that will strengthen the economic clout of all nations in our rapidly growing region.”
To ensure that the country remained a competitive player within the region, the President said the government was able to attract investments to countries like India.
She said that with the support of the Indian business community through getting all the inputs, the government invested heavily in improving the quality of the country’s human resources like in lowering transaction flows, the cost of doing business, in developing efficient access to financing and building a seamless infrastructure network.
“For instance, the ease now of immigration procedure for Indian business community and many other types of red tape we did away with because you (Indian) pointed them out to us,” she said.
Likewise, the Chief Executive said, the government is focusing on developing the strongest sectors, including commodities, business process outsourcing (BPOs) and niche tourism.
“One of the niche tourism sector, we identified is to invite to Indian movie companies in Bollywood to come and do films in the Philippines,” she said.
Likewise, the President thanked the Indian government for pouring investments in the country for over years.
She said the Philippines and India are partners in the continued growth and development of the countries in Asia.
”So for the next 60 years and even more, may our two people continue to work for the deepening of our relationship that has been mutually beneficial to both our countries,” she added.
RP calls on UN to take further steps to promote interfaith dialogue
In his statement before the just concluded 31st Session of the Committee on Information, Ambassador Hilario G. Davide, Jr., Philippine Permanent Representative to the United Nations, said the UN Department of Public Information (DPI) should lend its facility for the dissemination of interfaith activities.
“As the leading proponent of the interfaith initiative in the United Nations, the Philippines would wish a closer interaction between the DPI and the Department of Economic and Social Affairs, which serves as the focal point in the UN Secretariat on inter-religious and intercultural matters,” Ambassador Davide said.
In his statement, Ambassador Davide also cited the efforts of the DPI to promote a better understanding of various issues that are of importance to the international community. He said the thematic communications campaigns the DPI has been undertaking in support of the Millennium Development Goals, financing for development, human rights and climate change must be sustained and expanded.
“The UN Information Center in Manila worked together with President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and her Cabinet to earn for the Philippines the distinction of having mobilized a record-breaking 35 million people who literally stood up against poverty,” Ambassador Davide said.
“The Philippines welcomes the efforts of the DPI to generate popular support in Member-States that contribute troops to peacekeeping operations, such as in projecting the important role of UN Blue Helmets in helping keep the peace in various conflict areas worldwide,” he said.
“This working relationship must be strengthened and improved in order to more effectively project to the public the important role played by the men and women from the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police in helping keep the peace overseas,” he said.
“It is reassuring that the UN is evolving with the use of new technology and communication tools such as instant text messaging and web conferencing as well as the expanded use of blogs, Google video, Youtube and Facebook and other web-based social networking sites,” he said.
“The Philippines, which is considered the texting capital of the world with an average of 400 million text messages sent per day, is ready to participate and support this undertaking,” he said.
PGMA urges Indian business community to engage in volunteerism
MANILA (PNA) – President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on Monday called on the Indian business community to engage in the government’s volunteerism efforts as a way to cushion the impact of the global economic crisis.
The President, during the commemoration of the 60th year of RP-India relations at the Dusit Thani Hotel in Makati City, said it is now time for Filipinos and Indians living in the Philippines to pull together and focus on family and the community as the world economy continues to challenge both the developed and developing nations.
“We must now shift into a new era of volunteerism and community spirit,” the Chief Executive said as she cited the need to include the government, the religious, the civic groups, the non-governmental organizations and the Federation of the Indian Chambers, in “harnessing our people to engage in coordinated volunteer activities.”
She said Filipino and Indian friends could focus on volunteer activities like by cleaning up the environments, building parks, planting trees, bringing comfort to the poor through food banks and bringing literacy to those who cannot read and write.
The Chief Executive said during these trying times, the Filipinos as well as the Filipino-Indians community, should “brought each one of us to count our blessing and give back to those who are less fortunate.”
“Our nation, the nation you (Indians) have chosen to call your home made us all pulling in the same direction, volunteering time, skills and resources is a noble undertaking we should all take seriously,” she said.
In this lean global economic times, the President also underscored the need to tap international support for volunteerism.
“We need to promote citizen’s involvement, including the Indians, who have became Filipino citizens and resident’s involvement, including the Indian citizens, who have been residing in the Philippines for so long, we need all of you to help friends, families, communities and the less fortunate, notably, revolving around the poor and the environment,” she said.
The President said she made this call in line with her declaration for the month of May as Volunteerism Month.
She expressed hope that as part of the 60th year of celebration of RP-Indian diplomatic relations, the Federation of Indian Chamber, will use this month to launch some of volunteer projects for the poor and the environment.
Highlighting the event is the awarding of citations to six Philippine government departments and several Indian personalities and organizations for their valuable contributions in strengthening relations of the two countries.
Those who received the award are the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), Department of Justice (DOJ), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Department of Tourism (DOT), Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Department of Interior and Local Governments (DILG).
On the Indian side, the recipients are the Indo-Phil Group of Companies and past presidents of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI).
PGMA: Asian Region must have a voice in shaping the world
Manila (PIA) - The Asian region can survive global economic slowdown and come out the strongest compared to other continents, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo said on Monday.
In her speech at the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between India and the Philippines, the President said the time has come for the region to have a voice in shaping the world.
"It is time to harness the potential of Asia, to capitalize on its resources and to give the Pan-Asian Region a stronger voice in shaping the world economic order," the President said, "One way to achieve this is for ASEAN and India to accelerate the negotiations for an ASEAN-India Free Trade Agreement."
The President called on the Filipino-Indian business community and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce, Inc. to make the advocacy for the ASEAN-India Free Trade Agreement a mission for the 60th Anniversary of Filipino - Indian relations.
She also urged the Philippine-Indian business community to "ensure that the two countries work together to build a more cohesive regional community that will strengthen the economic clout of all nations in our rapidly growing region."
President Arroyo vowed to work harder to ensure that the Philippines remains a "competitive player within the region" and to attract investments from countries like India, with the support of the Indian business community and the Indian Chambers of Commerce, Inc.
"We have invested heavily in improving the quality of the country's human resources, in lowering transaction flows and the costs of doing business, in developing efficient access to financing, and building a seamless infrastructure network," the President said.
She noted the ease now of immigration procedures for the Indian business community and the removal of many other types of red tape which "we did away with because you pointed them out to us."
The President also pointed out that the government is focusing on developing and strengthening industry sectors such as commodities, business process outsourcing and "niche tourism."
"One of the niche tourism sectors we identified is to invite Indian movie companies in Bollywood to come and do films in the Philippines, " she said.
