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| 03 OCTOBER 2007 | ||
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| 03 OCTOBER 2007 | ||
| Statement of Secretary Ignacio R. Bunye |
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HIGHLIGHTS OF PRESIDENT GLORIA MACAPAGAL-ARROYO’S
MEETING WITH PRESIDENT HU JINTAO (SHANGHAI, CHINA, OCTOBER 2, 2007): 1. President Hu thanked President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo for gracing the opening of the Special Olympics. President Arroyo said the Philippines sent its biggest ever delegation (52) to the Special Olympics. 2. President Arroyo greeted President Hu on the 58th anniversary of China. 3. President Arroyo reaffirmed the Philippines’ strict adherence to the One-China Policy. 4. President Arroyo said that RP-China relationship is confident, mature and comprehensive. China is now the fastest growing economy and our third largest trading partner. 5. We have observed open dialogue and trust in handling sensitive issues. Issues should be resolved, guided by respect, consultation and mutual benefit. 6. President Arroyo explained the difficult decision not to continue with the NBN (National Broadband Network) project. She said she was counting on China on understanding. 7. President Hu said the Philippines has been a great ally. China is committed to grow the relationship between our two countries. President Hu said that the foreign ministers of the two countries are now working on a joint program for strategic cooperation. Likewise, the trade ministers are drawing up a five-year economic development program to provide clear guidance for cooperation. President Hu said our trade relations have been productive and have resulted in tangible deliverables. He offered understanding. He said our relationship is in good shape. 8. Both Presidents expressed satisfaction with the progress made in the joint seismic studies in the China Sea. 9. The meeting of the two leaders was warm and very cordial. |
| PGMA joins foreign dignitaries, celebrities at opening of Special Olympics inShanghai |
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SHANGHAI, China (via PLDT) - President Gloria
Macapagal-Arroyo joined foreign dignitaries and celebrities who were invited
by Chinese President Hu Jintao to witness the spectacular opening of the
Special Olympics World Summer Games 2007 last night at the Shanghai Stadium.
Hu opened the 10-day sporting event for the intellectually challenged people from some 165 countries, including the Philippines, whose 52-strong delegation to the special sporting event was the biggest. Aside from the President, the other guests of honor were Iceland President Olafur Grimsson, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, actors Colin Farrell and Jackie Chan, NBA star Yao Ming, singer Vanessa Williams, Quincy Jones, and actress Zhang Ziyi. The extravaganza started with a rigorous drum dance followed by a non-stop presentation of cultural dances, exercises and songs, by more than a thousand performers. An estimated 80,000 spectators packed the Shanghai Stadium. The opening ceremony ended with a spectacular display of lights and fireworks and the lighting of the Olympic torch. At their bilateral meeting earlier in the morning, President Arroyo and her Chinese counterpart affirmed their commitment to promote the interest of intellectually disabled people. |
| Top Sino sculptor honors PGMA with bust work |
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SHANGHAI, China (via PLDT) – World-renowned
Chinese sculptor Wu Weishan gifted President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo Tuesday
with a bust sculpture he made especially for her as a symbol of the
long-standing friendship and goodwill between the Philippines and China. Professor Wu presented the sculpture during his courtesy call on her at the Eton Hotel where the President is billeted while on a visit to China. Wu said it took him three months to finish his work based on a picture of the President. The bust sculpture is made of silver and bronze showing the President glancing at a distance. Wu said his gift epitomizes and visualizes the industrious Filipino and the President's vision for the Philippines. He also gave the President an album of his famous works that include the sculpture of Queen Beatrix Wilhelmina Armgard of the Netherlands. With over 20 years in the business, Wu has created the sculptures of over 300 historical and cultural figures from China and overseas, and of more than 200 Chinese and foreign celebrities. He has won numerous international awards for greatly promoting the understanding of the Chinese culture and contemporary Chinese sculpture in his works. |
| PGMA due for 3-day state visit to India |
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MUMBAI, India - After a decade of a previous
Philippine leader's visit, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is scheduled to
arrive in this highly-industrialized and affluent city late Wednesday
evening for a three-day state visit that is expected to further boost
economic and diplomatic ties between India and the Philippines. The President will be flying in at the Mumbai International Airport via a chartered Philippine Airlines (PAL) flight at 10:45 p.m. (New Delhi time) from China where she just completed a two-day official visit. Highlighting the first leg of her visit in this city Thursday is the signing of two trade agreements that are expected to further boost the bilateral relations between the two countries. The Philippines' Macropharma Corporation, represented by its president, Jose Salvador M. Rivera, will sign a Joint Venture Agreement with the Indian company, Emcure Pharmaceuticals Ltd. through its executive director Arun Kumar, which will make available quality and affordable medicines in the Philippines in the field of nephrology and oncology. A Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between the State Trading Corporation of India Ltd., through its chairman and managing director Dr. Arvind Pandalai, and the Philippine International Trading Corporation (PITC) headed by its president and chief executive officer, Jorge Mendoza Judan, will also be signed. The MOA is expected to establish a long-term and mutually beneficial trade relationship for import and export of various products in both countries. As part of her itinerary, President Arroyo will deliver a keynote speech at the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) to be held at the Ballroom of the Taj Mahal Palace and Towers, followed by a series of courtesy calls of various Indian businessmen. She will also have a meeting and a High Tea with Shri Somanahalli Mallaiah Krishna, the governor of Maharashtra State at the Raj Bahvan. On Friday, the President goes to the Indian capital of New Delhi considered as a major travel gateway to this country and one of the busiest entry points for overseas airlines. Full Indian military honors will be extended to the President upon her arrival at the Rashtrapati Bhavan Forecourt where she will lay a wreath at the Samadhi (tomb) of Mahatma Gandhi. President Arroyo will have an expanded bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at the Hyderabad House before the State Banquet to be hosted by Indian President, Prathibha Patil and his wife at the Ashoka Hall, Rashtrapati Bhavan. The President is scheduled to deliver a speech at the Filipino-Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industries (FICCI) meeting before attending to another series of courtesy calls of Indian businessmen based in New Delhi. She will also have a coffee meeting with the Filipino community. On Saturday, the Chief Executive leaves New Delhi for Agra for a two-hour tour of the world-renowned Taj Mahal, a heritage site considered one of the eight wonders of the world. After the tour, the President departs for Manila and is expected to arrive there late evening Saturday. |
| Palace creates inter-agency task force to push Senate ratification of JPEPA |
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Malacanang has created an inter-agency task
force that will provide the Senate with the needed inputs on the benefits,
advantages and opportunities the Philippines stands to benefit from the
ratification of the Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement (JPEPA).
Signed by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on Sept. 28, Administrative Order (AO) No. 198 states that the Inter-Agency Task Force for the JPEPA Senate Ratification shall “act with resolve and urgency for the ratification of the Agreement in the Senate.” The task force is composed of representatives from 18 government agencies, including 15 executive departments. These are the Departments of Foreign Affairs; Trade and Industry; Agriculture; Budget and Management; Education; Energy; Environment and Natural Resources; Finance; Health; Justice; Labor and Employment; Public Works and Highways; Science and Technology; Tourism; Transportation and Communications; National Economic and Development Authority; Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, and Securities and Exchange Commission. In an earlier administrative order, the President created the Philippine Coordinating Committee (PCC) to study the feasibility of the JPEPA. The PCC, which was also composed of the 18 government agencies, contributed its “time and effort to the successful negotiation of the JPEPA and concurred to the ratification of the treaty.” Signed by the President and then Japan Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi on Sept. 9, 2006, the JPEPA requires the concurrence of the Senate. The Senate’s foreign relations committee is now conducting Senate hearings on the JPEPA. The Task Force was given the following functions: • Coordinate with other agencies of government the necessary information required for the JPEPA’s Senate ratification; • Organize the resource documents pertinent to the Senate hearings of the JPEPA; • Attend the hearings of the JPEPA in the Philippine Senate; and • Perform such other functions as may be directed by the President. To assist the Task Force in its functions, the President also organized the Special Experts Panel which shall be composed of public officials and private individuals who are “leading figures in the areas of law, international trade and economic cooperation.” |
| RP gov't supports global policy on well-being of intellectually-challenged persons -- PGMA |
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SHANGHAI, China (via PLDT) -– President Gloria
Macapagal-Arroyo committed today the Philippines’ support to the cause and
welfare of intellectually-challenged persons around the world as part of the
government’s social services program. The President made the commitment in her keynote address during the Global Policy Summit on the Well-Being of People with Intellectual Disabilities this morning at the Shanghai International Convention Center in Pudong District, Shanghai. “Today I hereby commit the Philippine government to support quality growth of Special Olympics program to reach more athletes, families and communities, empower athletes as leaders, and change attitudes toward people with intellectual disabilities,” she said. Among those accompanying the President during the summit were Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo, Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap, Trade Secretary Peter Favila, and Press Secretary and Presidential Spokesperson Ignacio R. Bunye. Other dignitaries present were Iceland President Olafur Grimsson, People’s Republic of China Vice Premier Hui Liangyu, PROC Party Secretary Xi Jinping, Shanghai Mayor Han Zheng, Special Olympics International Chairman Timothy Shriver, and his wife, Special Olympics founder Kennedy Shriver. Special Olympics is a movement operating in more than 165 countries and focuses on acceptance, inclusion and respect for individuals with intellectual disabilities, including support services to their families. The President said she is hoping that more countries would make the same commitment and support policies to provide the highest welfare for persons with intellectual disabilities. She said reforms initiated in the Philippines have enabled the government to invest in people and projects that include vital infrastructures and the provision of essential social services. However, the President noted that there is still much to do as funds generated from various reforms are not enough to aggressively promote the cause of more than 900,000 Filipinos who are either physically or mentally challenged. The President said the Philippines has subscribed to the Millennium Framework for Action Towards an Inclusive, Barrier-Free and Rights-Based Society for Persons with Disabilities in Asia and the Pacific. In 2002, the President said she also issued a Presidential Proclamation declaring the 10-year period from 2003 to 2012 as the Philippine Decade for Persons with Disabilities (PWDs). She added that in 2004, she signed a law obliging all health workers to inform parents that newborn screening is available to detect conditions that may lead to possible learning disabilities, or even death among infants. The President commended the private sector, particularly the non-government organizations (NGOs) in the Philippines, for promoting the cause of persons with disabilities. She said she has agreed to the recommendation of the NGOs to appoint a person with disability to a government council that would develop and recommend policies, programs and even legislative agenda to address the needs of PWDs. The President also commended the Shriver family for its pioneering efforts in promoting the cause of persons with disabilities. “Filipinos are great fans of the Kennedy’s. We all know about Camelot and we all know about their special child. So, when Tim Shriver visited us in Manila, his passion for the well-being of persons with disabilities did not surprise us, it inspired us,” the President said. She added that China’s hosting of the opening of the 10-day Special Olympics World Games here Tuesday night promoted the cause of persons with disabilities to greater heights. |
| China remains friendly with RP despite PGMA's cancellation of ZTE deal |
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SHANGHAI, China (via PLDT) -– The Chinese
government has remained committed to closer ties with the Philippines even
after President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo had cancelled the National Broadband
Network (NBN) project with China’s ZTE Corp. Trade and Industry Secretary Peter Favila said this friendly gesture pervaded during bilateral talks between President Arroyo and Chinese President Hu Jintao held here Tuesday. “We’re glad that President Hu Jintao gave unwavering support with understanding to President Macapagal-Arroyo’s decision to discontinue the (NBN) project,” Favila said. Last Tuesday, the President decided to cancel the NBN project because of the continuing hot controversy it has created and the refusal of some sectors to understand the importance of the cyber project. Favila said he and his Chinese counterpart are now working on a five-year economic development plan with the hope of coming up with an agreement for better cooperation without similar controversy created by the broadband project. Earlier, Press Secretary and Presidential Spokesman Ignacio R. Bunye said the President explained to President Hu the difficult decision she made to discontinue with the NBN contract without straining the good relations between the Philippines and China. “We are gratified with President Hu’s expression of understanding when he said that the Philippine-Chinese relations remain in very good shape and that the Philippines has been a great ally,” Bunye said. President Hu’s expression of understanding substantiated the earlier pronouncement of Philippine Consul General to Shanghai Maria Rowena Mendoza Sanchez that the NBN broadband issue is not a concern at all here and Chinese businessmen are still upbeat on investing in the Philippines. During their bilateral talks, Bunye said President Hu also thanked the President for accepting the invitation to attend the opening of the Special Olympics here for the intellectually disadvantaged persons. Bunye said the President likewise greeted President Hu on the 58th anniversary celebration of China’s National Day that started yesterday. Bunye said the President also described China as the fastest growing economy not only in the region but in the whole world as well and the Philippines sees China’s economic rise as a significant opportunity for the Philippines. |
| PGMA visits Shanghai business facilities of small business pioneer from RP |
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SHANGHAI, China (via PLDT) -– President Gloria
Macapagal-Arroyo visited here today the facilities of the Liwayway Marketing
Corp. or Liwayway (China) Co. Ltd., one of the oldest factories that
pioneered in the small-time entrepreneur business in the Philippines. Fresh from her speaking engagement at the Global Policy Summit on the Well Being of People with Intellectual Disabilities at the Shanghai International Convention Center, the President paid a visit to Carlos Chan, the factory owner. Upon her arrival, the President was welcomed by Chan as his three pretty little grand daughters presented her a bouquet of fresh flowers. After posing for a souvenir photo with the employees of the factory, the President made a plant tour on board a golf car. She then joined with the top officials of the factory in a lunch at the company’s villa. Pioneering in small business, Liwayway factory has inspired a lot of small entrepreneurs across Asia. Liwayway Marketing Corporation traced back its beginning in the Philippines during the post-war era as a small family business engaged in repacking corn starch, coffee, confectioneries, and other basic commodities. |
| President visits Filipino-managed container port in Shandong |
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SHANDONG, China (via PLDT) -- President Gloria
Macapagal-Arroyo visited and inspected today the Yantai Rising Dragon
International Container Terminal (YRDICT), the first state-of-the-art
container port in Yantai, the capital town of Shandong province, and owned
and managed by a Filipino cargo company. In January 2007, Philippine-based global port operator International Container Terminal Services Inc. (ICTSI), through holding company ICTSI (Hong Kong) Ltd., signed a joint venture contract with Yantai Port Group Co. Ltd. for the purchase of 60 percent of the shareholdings of Chinese port operator Yantai Gangtong Container Terminal Co. Ltd. The joint venture contract, with a term of 30 years, was approved by the Chinese government in March this year. YRDICT is ICTSI’s first venture into China and is the first Philippine investment in the Chinese port market. The joint venture is also a manifestation of the growing reciprocal trade ties between China and the Philippines. Upon her arrival here, the President signed in the guest book of the port terminal after which she was briefed by ICTSI Chairman Enrique Razon on the investment progress of the Filipino-owned port company. During her 12-minute stay, the President congratulated Razon and other top executives of the ICTSI and YRDICT for their successful handling of the terminal. "Congratulations. We’re very proud of you," the President told them. After the port visit, the President met with the provincial leaders of Shandong at the Banquet Hall of Dongshan Hotel. |
