Bilateral relations between the Philippines and the Republic of Equatorial Guinea are expected to be boosted with President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s state visit to that West African nation on Tuesday.

The President proceeds to the Guinean capital of Malabo from Singapore where she addressed the opening ceremonies Sunday of the two-day World Economic Forum (WEF) on East Asia 2007 and made a one-day state visit Monday.

Her state visit to the oil-rich Equatorial Guinea is upon the invitation of President Teodoro Obiang Mbasogo who made a four-day state visit to the Philippines in May 2006.

The President and her delegation are scheduled to leave Singapore’s Changi International Airport early Tuesday morning on board a chartered Philippine Airlines (PAL) plane. They are expected to arrive at the Malabo International Airport at 3 p.m. (Manila time)

In a statement released by Malacañang prior to her departure for Singapore Saturday afternoon, the President noted that relations between the Philippines and Equatorial Guinea grew with the state visit to the Philippines of President Mbasogo last year.

"We shall engage Equatorial Guinea bilaterally and multilaterally through mutual support of each other’s initiatives in the international community. Our countries have a shared agenda of defeating poverty through the New Asia-Africa Startegic Partnership (NAASP) and the United Nations," she said.

She will be the first President of the Philippines to visit Equatorial Guinea.

Among the highlights of the President’s visit are her speech at the People’s Republic Chamber, a Leaders’ Meeting with President Mbasogo, signing of a joint communiqué, and tour of the Campo Alba Oil Field Complex.

After the two leaders’ meeting, the President will be conferred the National Order of the Independence by the Equatorial Guinean government.

The Chief Executive will also have a meeting with the Filipino community there and visit the National Bank of Equatorial Guinea before flying back to Manila at 7 p.m. (3 a.m., Wednesday in Manila).

Equatorial Guinea, which gained independence from Spain in 1968, hosts some 2,500 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) stationed mostly in that country’s oil fields and construction sites. The Philippines recognized the African country on Nov. 28, 1968.

According to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Office of Middle East and African Affairs, the Philippine Embassy in Nigeria has administrative jurisdiction over Equatorial Guinea.

On the other hand, the Guinean Embassy in China has administrative jurisdiction over the Philippines.

The Philippines and Equatorial Guinea have at least four existing bilateral agreements signed in Manila in May 2006. These are:

a) General Agreement on Economic, Cultural, Scientific and Technical Cooperation.

b) Agreement on the Reciprocal Promotion and Protection of Investments.

c) Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Metropolitan Insurance Co. and Government of the Republic of Equatorial Guinea, and

d) MOU between the University of Perpetual Help System and the Government of the Republic of Equatorial Guinea.

In 1995, massive reserves of petroleum were discovered in Equatorial Guinea, and shortly thereafter, significant reserves of natural gas were also found in the country.

We do not comment on speculations and anonymous and thus unverifiable information. The administration has a clear policy condemning cold blooded murders and other crimes.

In line with this policy, we support the Chief Justice's initiative for a multisectoral summit on the role of the judiciary against these killings.

SINGAPORE (via PLDT) – President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo received today a warm welcome from Singapore President Sellapan Rama Nathan as she began her one-day State Visit here.

The President arrived at the Istana, the official residence of the Singaporean President, at 10:35 a.m. from Fullerton Hotel where she is billeted.

She was accompanied by House Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr., Trade and Industry Secretary Peter Favila, Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo, Administrator Marianito Roque of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), Philippine Ambassador to Singapore Belen Anota and Senior Adviser for International Competitiveness Roberto Romulo.

The official ceremony for the visiting head of state held at the Istana grounds included the playing of the national anthems of both the Philippines and Singapore and the inspection by the President of the Singapore Guard of Honor.

After the playing of the national anthems of both countries, the two leaders headed for the Istana Main Building as the military band played the traditional General Salute.

At the Istana Main Entrance, the President signed the Presidential Visitor’s Book, then proceeded with her host to the Reception Room, where the Singaporean leader introduced to his Philippine counterpart the members of his Cabinet.

After the presentation, the two leaders had a one-on-one meeting at the West Drawing Room of the Istana.

From her meeting with President Nathan, President Arroyo returned to the Fullerton Hotel for a luncheon meeting with Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong at the Straits Room.

Later in the afternoon, the Chief Executive will hold a brief meeting with Maersk officials led by its Chairman of the Board Morten Engelstof.

Also today, the President will address the Philippines-Singapore Business Council at the Straits Room also in Fullerton Hotel.

SINGAPORE (via PLDT) – President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo assured Sunday the 120,000-strong Filipino community here that the tough fiscal reforms her government has initiated are meant to keep the economic momentum going "with the hope that someday, working abroad would be a matter of a choice and not a necessity. "

In a speech during her meeting with the local Filipino community at the Suntec Convention Center here, the President noted that her administration’s focus on the economy, fiscal discipline, a balanced budget and the need for long overdue human and physical infrastructure improvements have helped round out the economic gains.

"Our efforts are paying off," she stressed in the vernacular. "You must understand that the strong peso helps check inflation and the global rise in the prices of oil, and other basic commodities abroad."

Because of the strong peso, the President said interest rates have gone down including that of Pag-IBIG Fund, allowing overseas Filipino workers to liberally loan money for housing and other needs.

This, she added, has also enticed investors, including OFWs, to invest in the country and create more jobs for Filipinos.

The President expressed recognition to the contribution of the Filipino migrant workers, noting their sacrifice and dedication to their work, family and the nation.

"Overseas Filipino workers are honored by the government and the people, your sacrifice and dedication to your work, your family and your nation. We welcome your contribution," she said.

The President pointed out that six million jobs have been created in the last six years and by continuing down this path "it will increasingly be keeping the best and brightest in the Philippines, closer to friends and families, helping to build the communities and provide the next generation of leadership."

She said the government is doing its best to improve the OFWs condition by eliminating irregularities in the documentation and escort system in the airport where the Bureau of Immigration is implementing new systems to avoid pre-identification of the immigration officers and there could be random rotation of these officers in all main points of exit.

Relatively, the President said, the government will establish computerized shared government information system in order to easily identify the present and previous destinations of every Filipino.

She advised all Filipinos based in Singapore without sufficient documents to proceed and coordinate with the Philippine embassy here to facilitate the validity of their stay.

The President said that she had tasked the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) to create a group that would plan for the establishment of pension fund for the OFWs and to look for other concerns.

She said she had also tasked Socio-Economic Planning Secretary Romulo Neri to find ways of easing up the burdens of the OFWs from the effects of the strong peso.

Fr. Angel Luciano of the St. Michael parish celebrated the Eucharistic mass prior to the program

Malacanang welcomed today Chief Justice Reynato Puno’s proposal for a broad-based summit to discuss measures to address the problem of extra-judicial killings.

In a statement issued this afternoon, Press Secretary and concurrent Presidential Spokesperson Ignacio R. Bunye also stressed that the "administration has a clear policy condemning cold-blooded murders and other crimes."

"In line with this policy, we support the Chief Justice’s initiative for a multisectoral summit on the role of the judiciary against these killings," he said.

"We also assure the people that our drive to get to the bottom of these killings is purposive and relentless," Bunye added.

He said, however, that the administration would not "comment on speculations and thus unverifiable information" on extra-judicial slayings.

Last August, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo created a five-man commission to investigate cases of extra-judicial killings and submit its recommendations to Malacanang.

Early this year, the Melo Commission, headed by retired Supreme Court Justice Jose Melo, recommended to the President the creation of special courts to handle cases of extra-judicial killings and the strengthening of the witness protection program, among others.

The President also called on the relatives of victims and witnesses to come forward, testify against the suspects and help in the resolution of the cases.