| ASEAN to ink agreements PGMA initiated at Cebu City Summit |
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SINGAPORE (via PLDT) – The Philippines awaits
with eager anticipation the signing this week by the Association of
Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) heads of state and government several
agreements/declarations either initiated or strongly supported by President
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo that will benefit the ordinary Filipino. The President is set to join other ASEAN heads of state and government in the 13th ASEAN Summit here from Nov. 18 to 22. The Philippines chaired the last ASEAN Summit held in Cebu City. In an interview, Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary Louie Cruz said these agreements and declarations will allow the people of member-countries better access to more jobs, cheaper products, higher incomes and the opportunity to travel within the region without the need for a visa. Cruz enumerated these documents as follows:
-The ASEAN Mutual
Recognition Agreement on architectural services.
Under this accord, Filipino architects will be allowed to practice
their profession in other countries within the region without the
need to pass a certain country's architectural or
board examinations. |
| President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's Departure Statement |
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We are departing for Singapore and the ASEAN
Leaders Summit committed to advancing the interests of the Philippine people
in three key areas: human rights, environmental protection and economic
development. The interests of the people of the Philippines come first. Their agenda is my agenda in Singapore: energy independence, environmental stewardship, a strong economy and a commitment to human rights. ASEAN is increasingly important as our region becomes more integrated economically, socially and politically. ASEAN is becoming a more cohesive regional powerhouse that will enhance the interests of each member nation and provide balance to the rise of China as well as to our traditional relationship with North America and Europe. At the successful ASEAN Summit in Cebu which we chaired last year, we launched several key initiatives, most notably the pursuit of the ASEAN Charter for the purpose of strengthening our economic clout and regional self-sufficiency. At that time, we also called for stronger environmental standards, energy self-sufficiency and insisted upon an ASEAN Human Rights body. We are proud to announce that ASEAN is making progress on each and every initiative we started in Cebu - and this is good news for the Philippines. We are determined to complete in Singapore what we started in Cebu. We are committed to advance our commitment to human rights, propel our commitment to a healthy environment led by energy self sufficiency and continue to strengthen our economic comeback. Our nation is moving forward on the strength of the Philippine worker, our willingness to engage the world and the work of our administration to bring peace, order and stability to our nation. ASEAN is part of our plan to achieve these goals. In this holiday season, it is important to be connected to peoples and nations abroad just as we are focused on our friends, neighbors and families at home. We must all stand together to advance the interests of humanity and lift up the fortunes of the poor and dispossessed. |
| PGMA leaves for ASEAN Summit in Singapore |
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President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo left for Singapore at 2:40 p.m. today to attend the four-day 13th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Leaders Summit which opens tomorrow and hold bilateral talks with ASEAN and other heads of state. In a departure statement, the President said her mission is to advance the interests of the Filipino in three key areas, namely “human rights, environmental protection and economic development.” The President, who was in an all-black pants ensemble, was joined in her trip by Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo and Press Secretary Ignacio R. Bunye. She was seen off at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA ll) by Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita, Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro, House Speaker Jose de Venecia, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief Hermogenes Esperon, the three service branch chiefs, and Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Avelino Razon. This year’s ASEAN Summit – with the theme “One ASEAN at the Heart of a Dynamic Asia” – will also have five related summits, namely: 11th ASEAN Plus Three Summit; the 11th ASEAN-China Summit; the 11th ASEAN-Japan-Summit; the 11th ASEAN-ROK Summit; and the 6th ASEAN-India Summit. “We are departing for Singapore and the ASEAN Leaders Summit committed to advancing the interests of the Philippine people in three key areas: human rights, environmental protection and economic development,” the President said. Also to be tackled by the Chief Executive in the summits are what she dubbed as the “interests of the people of the Philippines” that “come first,” namely energy independence, environmental stewardship, a strong economy and a commitment to human rights, “The interests of the people of the Philippines come first. Their agenda is my agenda in Singapore: energy independence, environmental stewardship, a strong economy and a commitment to human rights,” said the President who was last year’s chair of the 12th ASEAN Leaders Summit held in Cebu City. The President recalled that “at the successful ASEAN Summit in Cebu which we chaired last year, we launched several key initiatives, most notably the pursuit of the ASEAN Charter for the purpose of strengthening our economic clout and regional self-sufficiency.” “At that time, we also called for stronger environmental standards, energy self-sufficiency and insisted upon an ASEAN Human Rights body. We are proud to announce that ASEAN is making progress on each and every initiative we started in Cebu - and this is good news for the Philippines,” she said. “We are determined to complete in Singapore what we started in Cebu. We are committed to advance our commitment to human rights, propel our commitment to a healthy environment led by energy self sufficiency, and continue to strengthen our economic comeback,” she added. The President pointed out that the country is now “moving forward on the strength of the Philippine worker, our willingness to engage the world and the work of our administration to bring peace, order and stability to our nation. ASEAN is part of our plan to achieve these goals.” As for the ASEAN, it is becoming “increasingly important as our region becomes more integrated economically, socially and politically.” “ASEAN is becoming a more cohesive regional powerhouse that will enhance the interests of each member nation and provide balance to the rise of China; as well as to our traditional relationship with North America and Europe,” she said. She also said that in this “holiday season, it is important to be connected to peoples and nations abroad just as we are focused on our friends, neighbors and families at home. We must all stand together to advance the interests of humanity and lift up the fortunes of the poor and dispossessed.” The 12th ASEAN Leaders Summit, which the President chaired, saw the signing, among others, of the Cebu Declaration on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights of Migrant Workers, the ASEAN Convention on Counter-Terrorism, and the Cebu Declaration on East Asian Energy Security. |
| PGMA leaves for Singapore Sunday to attend 13th ASEAN Summit meeting |
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President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo leaves for
Singapore Sunday afternoon (Nov. 18) to attend the annual meeting of the
Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) heads of state and
government, the highest decision-making organ of the 10-member ASEAN. High on agenda of the 13th ASEAN Summit and related meetings in Singapore on Nov. 18 to 22 is the signing by ASEAN leaders of the ASEAN Charter which the High Level Task Force drafted during the 12th ASEAN Summit held in Cebu early this year. This historic document, which former President Fidel V. Ramos as member of the Eminent Persons Group helped formulate, is expected to serve as a legal and institutional framework as well as an inspiration for ASEAN to meet future challenges and opportunities, During the Summit, President Arroyo is expected to bring up issues on environment, including the protection of coastal and marine ecosystems as well as renew her calls for the use of renewable and alternative sources of energy, such as biofuels, to soften the effect of high prices of oil in the world market. Other highlights of the five-day ASEAN Summit are: Signing of another important document on ASEAN Economic Community Blueprint, a master plan that identifies the priority measures and actions to be undertaken to transform ASEAN into a region with free movement of goods, services, investment, skilled labor and freer flow of capital by 2015. Discussions on problems on energy, the environment, climate change and sustainable development, and the signing by ASEAN leaders of a declaration of environmental sustainability to protect and manage the environment, respond to climate change and conserve the region’s natural resources. ASEAN leaders also will declare their support for a successful outcome of the negotiation at the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations (UN) Framework Convention on Climate Change in Bali next month, which seeks to pave the way for a climate change roadmap beyond 2012, when the Kyoto Protocol expires. Other documents that will be signed at the 13th ASEAN Summit by ASEAN Ministers are: the ASEAN Mutual Recognition Agreement on Architectural Services; the ASEAN Framework Arrangement on the Mutual Recognition of Surveying Qualifications; and the Protocol to carry out the 6th Package of Commitments under the ASEAN Framework Agreement on Services. Among the members of the President’s delegation are former President Ramos, Philippine representative to the ASEAN Eminent Persons Group; House Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr., Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo, Trade and Industry Secretary Peter Favila, Press Secretary and concurrent Presidential Spokesperson Ignacio R. Bunye, House Deputy Speaker Ma. Amelita C. Villarosa, Rep. Arthur Defensor, and Foreign Affairs Undersecretary for Policy Enrique Manalo. The ASEAN was established on Aug. 8, 1967 in Bangkok by the five original member countries: Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand. Brunei Darussalam joined the group on Jan. 8, 1984; Vietnam on July 28, 1995; Lao PDR and Myanmar on July 23, 1997; and Cambodia on April 30, 1999. The ASEAN was organized to accelerate economic growth, social progress and cultural development in the region, promote regional peace and stability through abiding respect for justice and the rule of law, fortify the relationship among countries in the region and adhere to the principles of the United Nations Charter. The ASEAN region has a population of about 500 million, a total area of 4.5 million square kilometers, a combined gross domestic product (GDP) of almost US$700 billion, and a total trade of about US$850 billion. |
| PGMA to attend the 13 ASEAN Summit and Related Summits in Singapore |
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President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
is scheduled to leave for Singapore on Sunday (Nov. 18) to attend the 13th
Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit and Related Summits in
Singapore. The theme for this year’s ASEAN Summit is “One ASEAN at the Heart of a Dynamic Asia.” Singapore, being chair of the 41st ASEAN Standing Committee, will host the Summit meetings, which include the 11th ASEAN Plus Three Summit, the 11th ASEAN-China Summit, 11th ASEAN-Japan-Summit, 11th ASEAN-ROK Summit, 6th ASEAN-India Summit and the 3rd East Asia Summit, from Nov. 19-22, 2007. Last year, the President chaired these same meetings when the Philippines hosted the 12th ASEAN Summit and Related Summits as Chair of the 40th ASEAN Standing Committee. It may be recalled that the ASEAN Leaders signed, among others, the Cebu Declaration on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights of Migrant Workers, the ASEAN Convention on Counter-terrorism and the Cebu Declaration on East Asian Energy Security and launched the drafting of the ASEAN Charter, an important document that codifies ASEAN’s norms and decision-making and gives legal personality and a more effective structure to the organization, in January 2007 in Cebu. This year the signing of the ASEAN Charter is one of the highlights of the 13th ASEAN Summit. Other outcome documents expected to be signed by the ASEAN Leaders are: Declaration on the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) Blueprint; ASEAN Declaration on Environmental Sustainability; and ASEAN Declaration on the 13th Conference of Parties (COP13) of the UN Framework Conference on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the 3rd Session of the Conference of the Parties Serving as the Meeting of the Parties (CMP) to the Kyoto Protocol. Following the Philippines’ lead during the 2nd East Asia Summit (EAS) in Cebu, Singapore also focused on environment, energy, climate change and sustainable development for the theme of the 3rd EAS. The EAS leaders, which include the ASEAN leaders and the leaders of Australia, New Zealand, China, Japan, Korea and India, are expected to sign the Singapore Declaration on Climate Change, Energy and the Environment after their meeting on Nov.21. The President will also meet with her counterparts from Brunei, Indonesia and Malaysia during the 4th BIMP-EAGA Summit on Nov. 19 to discuss the development of the East ASEAN region. The four leaders will look into ways to strengthen cooperation in trade facilitation by improving border crossing procedures which will increase the volume of trade and tourist arrivals and to develop alternative sources of energy, such as bio-fuels. The following day, the ASEAN Leaders will have a working lunch with the business leaders in ASEAN after the 13th ASEAN Summit. To celebrate 30 years of relations between the two regional groupings, an ASEAN-EU Commemorative Summit will be held in Singapore on Nov. 22, the last day of the series of Summit meetings. The Joint Declaration of the ASEAN-EU Commemorative Summit – Plan of Action to Implement the Nuremberg Declaration on an ASEAN-EU Enhanced Partnership is expected to be adopted by the Leaders of ASEAN and EU during the meeting. The Gala Dinner will be held on the evening of Nov. 20, 2007 and will be attended by the Leaders, Ministers and selected delegates and guests from the 16 EAS countries. Last year, the Gala Dinner hosted by President Macapagal-Arroyo was praised for the great performances and overall preparedness just as the 12th ASEAN Summit in Cebu has been described by ASEAN Secretary-General Ong Keng Yong as the best ASEAN Summit he has attended. |
| Some backgrounder on the 4th BIMP-EAGA Summit on 19 November 2007 in Singapore as released by Press Secretary Ignacio R. Bunye |
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The 4th BIMP-EAGA (Brunei
Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines/East Asean Growth Area) Summit
will be held in the Jurong Ballroom of the Shangri-La Hotel, Singapore on 19
November 2007. It will be chaired by His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal
Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah in Brunei Darussalam’s capacity as current
Chair of the BIMP-EAGA. Secretary Jesus Dureza (Standing Chairman of the BIMP-EAGA Ministerial Meeting) will report to the Leaders on the accomplishments and developments that have transpired in the sub-region in accordance with the implementation of the BIMP-EAGA Roadmap for Development 2006-2010 and the directives given during the 3rd BIMP-EAGA Summit. The Progress Report will present the achievements in increasing connectivity in the BIMP-EAGA, such as • the new MOUs on land and sea linkages • recent initiatives of the business sector and local governments to spur investments such as the 1st BIMP-EAGA Investment Conference (Icon) and the 1st BIMP-EAGA ICT Conference held back to back in Davao City on 22-24 October 2007 • adoption of a Customs Action Plan for the sub-region. During the Summit, the Leaders will note the sub-region’s efforts on environmental conservation through the Heart of Borneo Project and the Coral Triangle covering the Sulu-Sulawesi Marine Eco-Region and acknowledge ADB’s two proposed projects in the area under its Archipelagic Southeast Asia Regional Environment Program (ASEA RCSP). The BIMP-EAGA Leaders will endorse the Progress Report and discuss future directions of BIMP-EAGA and issue new directives on sub-regional cooperation. A joint statement will be issued following the Leaders Meeting. |
| Multinationals belonging to ABIS group to put up businesses in RP |
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SINGAPORE (via PLDT) – Attracted by the
favorable investment climate in the Philippines, several multinational
corporations belonging to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)
Business Investment Summit (ABIS) have signified their intention to put up
more businesses in the country, Press Secretary and Presidential Spokesman
Ignacio R. Bunye said today. In an interview after the breakfast meeting with President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and Filipino members of the ABIS group at the Fullerton hotel here this morning, Bunye said several multinational companies will soon be bringing their business to the Philippines. He said the interest shown by the ABIS members to do business in the Philippines was a welcome development as it will help boost the Philippines' image as an investment hub in the region, not to mention the job opportunities the new investments will generate for Filipinos. Donald Dee, president of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI), and former Trade Secretary Jose Concepcion are among the Filipino members of the ABIS group. "Ibinalita nila yung interest ng iba't ibang business groups na magtayo ng negosyo sa Pilipinas. Si Ginoong Donald Dee ay nagbalita nung interest ng Mitsui-Busan na magtayo ng ship repair facility sa Pilipinas. There was also news of Tiger Airways being interested in setting up operations at Clark (Pampanga)," Bunye said. He said the President welcomed the interest shown by the ABIS group in investing in the Philippines, but at the same time she cited the concerns of airline companies over additional flights to Philippine international airports, especially the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA). "Bagamat ok na ok (ang paggamit ng mga airlines) dito sa Clark, maraming iba pang mga airlines ang gustong magkaroon ng additional flights dito sa international airport natin sa Manila except that medyo masikip na sa Manila but Clark is open for business," Bunye said. He added that during the breakfast meeting, the President proudly reported the great strides the Philippines has been making under her administration, especially in the area of fiscal reforms such as the Expanded Value Added Tax (EVAT) Law. The President explained that as a result of the enactment of the EVAT law, interest and inflation rates have gone down, and the Philippine peso and the stock market have gone up. "All of these were welcomed by the ASEAN businessmen," Bunye said. Also discussed during the meeting was the regional growth area known as the Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines/ East Asia Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA). The BIMP-EAGA is a strategy of the 10-member ASEAN bloc to accelerate the economic development of focus areas in the sub-region through increased trade, tourism and investments. Three BIMP-EAGA Summits have been held since 2003 where the regional leaders set the future direction and development of the sub-region. A BIMP-EAGA Roadmap to Development was adopted in 2005 to guide the stakeholders in the implementation of programs from 2006 to 2010. Bunye said that the President proposed that close relations should be established between the BIMP-EAGA and the ABAC to ensure better monitoring and implementation of both bodies' mandate. |
| PGMA, 3 other ASEAN leaders reaffirm MOU on expansion of air linkages |
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SINGAPORE (via PLDT) – The Philippines, Brunei
Darussalam, Indonesia and Malaysia reaffirmed today a Memorandum of
Understanding (MOU) on the expansion of air and sea linkages signed by the
four Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member-countries during
the third BIMP-EAGA leaders’ Summit in January 2007. The MOU, which grants fifth freedom traffic rights or "open skies" in selected EAGA entry points in the sub-region, was affirmed by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and the other BIMP-EAGA leaders, namely Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei Darussalam, Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi of Malaysia and President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono of Indonesia. To further foster connectivity, the four leaders also reaffirmed the MOU signed by BIMP-EAGA transport ministers on the establishment and promotion of efficient and integrated sea linkages and the cross-movement of commercial buses and coaches signed in November prior to the 13th ASEAN transport meeting in Bangkok, Thailand. The BIMP-EAGA is composed of the entire sultanate of Brunei Darussalam; Irian Jaya, Maluko and the provinces of Kalimantan and Sulawesi in Indonesia, the states of Sabah and Sarawak and the Federal territory of Labuan in Malaysia; and the islands of Mindanao and Palawan in the Philippines covering an area of 1.6 million square kilometers with a total population of 57.5 million people. The preservation of the so-called Coral Triangle initiated by presidential daughter Ma. Lourdes “Luli” Arroyo - the largest in the world – was agreed upon by the four leaders to maintain marine diversity, particularly tuna that spawns in BIMP-EAGA region. Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Jesus Dureza said at a media briefing that Japan, the leading consumer of tuna, will be asked to contribute to the preservation of the Coral Triangle. Dureza said the eco-tourism issue, of which the Philippines is a strong advocate, was also discussed. He said, however, that Badawi pointed out that "we must have peace before we can attain prosperity and power," obviously referring to the peace initiatives in Mindanao hosted by Malaysia. To this, President Arroyo expressed her thanks to the Malaysian government for helping the Philippines in its efforts to attain permanent peace in Mindanao. |
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Statement of the
President on Myanmar, ASEAN Leaders Informal Working
Dinner 19 November 2007, Singapore |
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I bring with me the agenda of the Filipino
people on the issue of democratic reform in Myanmar. They have tasked me to express their fundamental concerns. At the United Nations last September, I brought a similar agenda. I called for the early and safe release of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and political prisoners, the full and free participation of political parties, including the National League for Democracy, in the political process, and for the return of democracy. At the United Nations, I also welcomed the visit of Mr. Gambari to Myanmar. I support a greater role for the UN on the issue of Myanmar. We have not supported proposals of non-ASEAN countries that could undermine the crucial role of the UN. Resolutions in the Philippine Congress strongly support this position and give greater mandate for me to continue with this advocacy. We stand on the frontiers of a new era for our region with the ASEAN Charter, a task that we started at our Summit in Cebu. In drafting that important document, the Philippines insisted that the protection of human rights be a crucial and indispensable part of that Charter. I am pleased that in our draft, we will establish a human rights body. The belief of the Filipino people and the Philippine Congress, as well as my own, that those who will sign the Charter agree to the objective, spirit and intent of establishing a human rights body – the full protection of human rights within ASEAN. With this in mind, the expectation of the Philippines is that if Myanmar signs the Charter, it is committed to returning to the path of democracy and release Aung San Suu Kyi. Until the Philippine Congress sees that happen, it would have extreme difficulty in ratifying the ASEAN Charter. |
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Information Paper on the 11th ASEAN Plus Three Summit 20 November 2007, Singapore |
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The ASEAN Plus Three Summit is an annual
meeting between the Heads of State/Government of the ASEAN member countries
and China, Japan and the Republic of Korea. H.E. Prime Minister Lee Hsien
Loong, in the capacity of Singapore as the current ASEAN Chair and
coordinator of ASEAN Plus Three relations, will co-chair the meeting with
H.E. Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda of Japan. This year, the 11th ASEAN Plus Three Summit (APT) will take place on 20 November 2007 at the Shangri-La Hotel Singapore. The Leaders will exchange views on regional and international issues, review the progress of ASEAN+3 cooperation and make recommendations regarding its future direction. The 11th ASEAN Plus Three Summit will also commemorate the 10-year anniversary of the founding of the ASEAN Plus Three dialogue relations through a cake cutting ceremony. The highlight of the 11th ASEAN Plus Three Summit will be the adoption by the Leaders of the 2nd Joint Statement on East Asian Cooperation, which will chart the future direction of ASEAN Plus Three relations. |
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Backgrounder on the 11th ASEAN-China Summit 20 November 2007, Singapore |
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The ASEAN-China Summit is an annual meeting
among the Leaders of ASEAN Member Countries and the People’s Republic of
China, where the Summit Leaders review and set future directions of
ASEAN-China dialogue relations and exchange views on regional and
international issues. The 11th ASEAN-China Summit will be held at the Shangri-La Hotel, Singapore on 20 November 2007 from 1600 to 1700 hrs and will be chaired by H.E. Lee Hsien Loong, Prime Minister of Singapore and Chair of ASEAN. The Executive Report on the Progress of the Plan of Action (POA) to implement the 2003 Joint Declaration of the Heads of State/Government of ASEAN and China on Strategic Partnership for Peace and Prosperity will be presented to the Leaders for notation. |
| PGMA calls for release of Aung San Suu Kyi, return to democracy in military-ruled Myanmar |
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SINGAPORE (via PLDT) -- President Gloria
Macapagal-Arroyo strongly batted last night for the early and safe release
of Myanmar’s iconic freedom fighter Daw Aung San Suu Kyi from years of house
arrest and the restoration of democracy in that military-ruled Association
of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member-country. The President issued the call for Aung San Suu Kyi’s release during the informal working dinner of ASEAN leaders held at the Shangri-La Hotel here. The President told her fellow leaders of the regional grouping that she had brought with her to the 13th ASEAN Leaders Summit the “agenda of the Filipinos on the issue of democratic reform in Myanmar.” “They have tasked me to express their fundamental concerns” over the prolonged detention of Aung San Suu Kyi and other political prisoners in Myanmar. The Philippine leader has consistently taken a strong position against the repression of democratic processes in Myanmar, particularly the continued incarceration of Aung San Suu Kyi. “I called for the early and safe release of Daw Aung Suu Kyi and political prisoners, the full and free participation of political parties, including the National League for Democracy, in the political process, and for the return of democracy.” She pointed out that she welcomed the visit of United Nations Special Envoy Ibrahim Gambari to Myanmar to look into the political situation and human rights abuses in that country. “I support a greater role for the UN on the issue of Myanmar. We have not supported proposals of non-ASEAN countries that could undermine the crucial role of the UN,” she said. The President pointed out that her position on the Myanmar issue is strongly supported by the Philippine Congress, which has given her a “greater mandate to continue with this advocacy.” She expressed elation that with the ASEAN Charter, the regional grouping now stands on the frontiers of a new era. The task of drafting the ASEAN Charter started at the Leaders Summit in Cebu last January. In drafting the important document, the “Philippines insisted that the protection of human rights be a crucial and indispensable part of that Charter. I am pleased that in our draft, we will establish a human rights body,” the President said. She added: “The belief of the Filipino people and the Philippine Congress, as well as my own, that those who will sign the Charter agree to the objective, spirit and intent of establishing a human rights body – the full protection of human rights within ASEAN.” The Philippines expects, the President said, that if Myanmar signs the Charter, it is committed to the full restoration of democracy and release Aung San Suu Kyi. She warned that unless Aung San Suu Kyi is released it would be extremely difficult for the Philippine Congress to ratify the ASEAN Charter. |
| Historic ASEAN Charter signed |
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SINGAPORE (via PLDT) – Leaders of the
10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) signed this
afternoon the ASEAN Charter committing the regional grouping to the ideals
of democracy, a single market and the protection of human rights. The landmark document will meld the disparate countries in the region into a more cohesive bloc with a rules-based governing framework and binds the member countries to “strengthen democracy, enhance good governance and the rule of law, and to promote and protect human rights and fundamental freedoms.” The signing of the Charter, which came at the close of the regional leaders’ summit this afternoon, ended a long search for consensus on a document committing all ASEAN member-countries to a legal, institutional framework. President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo said Monday night that the Philippines expects that if Myanmar signed the Charter the latter would return to the path of democracy and release detained pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi. “Until the Philippine Congress sees that happen, it would have extreme difficulty in ratifying the ASEAn Charter,” she said. Dressed in an elegant white pantsuit, the President joined her all-male counterparts from Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam in signing the 40-page Charter. Among the salient objectives of the ASEAN Charter is to maintain and enhance peace, security and stability and further strengthen peace-oriented-values in the region, create a single market and production base which is stable, prosperous, highly-competitive and economically integrated with effective facilitation for trade and investment in which there is free flow of goods, services and investment and to strengthen democracy, enhance good governance and the rule of law, and to promote and protect human rights and fundamental freedom. Aside from the Charter, three other equally important documents were also signed, namely, the ASEAN Economic Community Blueprint, the ASEAN Declaration on Environmental Sustainability and the ASEAN Declaration on the 13th Session of the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the 3rd Session of the Conference of the Parties Serving as the Meeting of the Parties (CMP) to the Kyoto Protocol. The ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) Blueprint is a master plan that guides ASEAN towards achieving an AEC by 2015 by clearly identifying economic integration measures and detailing commitments, targets and timelines for their implementation. The ASEAN Declaration on Environmental Sustainability is cognizant of mounting global concern over the environment and ASEAN's obligations in fulfilling the aims of the World Summit on Sustainable Development and to achieve the UN Millennium Development Goals, in particular to ensure environmental sustainability in the context of sustainable development. The 13th COP to the UNFCCC and the 3rd Session of the CMP to the Kyoto Protocol reaffirm the regional body's resolve to achieve the objectives of sustainable development and implement its relevant commitments to address climate change, based on its respective capabilities, and in accordance with the UNFCCC and the Kyoto Protocol with the aim of stabilizing greenhouse gas concentrations. After all the documents had been signed, the ASEAN leaders, together with their respective foreign and trade ministers went up the stage for a photo opportunity. They then retired to their respective rooms. After an hour, they returned to the same venue at the Shangri-La Hotel for the ceremonious cake-cutting event celebrating the 10th Anniversary of the ASEAN Plus Three (China, Japan and the Republic of Korea) Cooperation. Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, who was flanked by Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, Japan Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda and ROK (South Korean) President Roh Moo Hyun, cut the cake to symbolize the strong cooperative ties between ASEAN and the three other countries. The 20-kilogram, nearly 1x2 feet rectangular cake was made of chocolate chiffon with the logo of the 13th ASEAN Summit adorning its ridges and face. The ASEAN Plus Three cooperation began in December 1997 with the convening of an informal Summit among the leaders of ASEAN and their counterparts from East Asia -- China, Japan and the Republic of Korea (ROK) at the sidelines of the Second ASEAN Informal Summit in Malaysia. The ASEAN Plus Three process was institutionalized in 1999 when the Leaders issued a Joint Statement on East Asia Cooperation at their 3rd ASEAN Plus Three Summit in Manila. The ASEAN Plus Three Leaders expressed greater resolve and confidence in further strengthening and deepening East Asia cooperation at various levels and in various areas, particularly in economic and social, political, and other fields. Since then, a number of key documents have been adopted to set the direction for ASEAN Plus Three cooperation. These include the Report of the East Asia Vision Group (EAVG) of 2001 and the Report of the East Asia Study Group (EASG) of 2002. |
| RP and New Zealand sign air services agreement; vow closer economic relations |
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Singapore -- The Philippines and New Zealand
signed last night a bilateral air services agreement that would establish
regular flights between the two countries for the first time since the
establishment of their diplomatic relations in 1966. The Philippines-New Zealand Air Services Agreement (ASA) was signed by Undersecretary of Foreign Affairs Enrique Manalo of the Philippines and Secretary of Foreign Affairs and Trade Simon Murdoch of New Zealand. The signing ceremony was done at the margins of the 13th ASEAN Summit in Singapore, and was witnessed by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and Prime Minister Helen Clark of New Zealand. Under the ASA, air carriers of the Philippines and New Zealand would each be entitled to three services per week of passengers, cargo and mail from one country to the other from and to pre-agreed points. The ASA is expected to increase visitor arrivals between the two countries, as well as further bolster bilateral trade and investment. The newly-signed bilateral air services agreement (specifically the regular, direct flights it will provide) is expected to immediately benefit the more than 27,000 Filipinos living and working in New Zealand. Prior to the signing ceremony, Prime Minister Clark called on President Arroyo to discuss a range of areas of mutual concern, including tourism, trade and investment, development assistance, and regional issues. The value of Philippine exports to New Zealand increased by 36.52 percent from US$38.86 million in 2005 to US$53.06 million in 2006. The product groups that comprised the bulk of exports were food products (33.55 percent) and electronics (7.73 percent). New Zealand is a major source of milk and dairy products for the Philippines, comprising about 80 percent of imports from that country. |
| Joint development of the South China Sea tops bilateral talks between RP and China |
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SINGAPORE (via PLDT) -- President Gloria
Macapagal-Arroyo and Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao held bilateral talks Tuesday
night on the sidelines of the ongoing 13th Association of Southeast Asian
Nations (ASEAN) Summit here to discuss further joint exploration of the
South China Sea on a "developmental level." The first phase or "exploration phase" of the resources-rich South China Sea has already been completed and the development level is ready to begin. Three countries -- China, the Philippines and Vietnam -- are engaged in exploratory activities in the South China Sea. In a briefing at the Shangri-La Hotel here, Press Secretary and Presidential Spokesperson Ignacio R. Bunye told members of the Malacañang Press Corps (MPC) and the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines (FOCAP) that Premier Wen had expressed hope that further cooperation among the three countries would continue. "The discussion (between President Arroyo and Premier Wen) centered on the joint exploration of the three countries namely: the People's Republic of China, the Philippines and Vietnam in the South China Sea. The first phase or the exploration phase has been completed and the Chinese Premier expressed hope that the three countries would continue the cooperation on the developmental level," Bunye said. "The talk was general in nature but both heads of state expressed satisfaction with the degree of cooperation that has taken place. As far as our bilateral relations are concerned, both heads of state described the relations as very fruitful, very comprehensive and very mature," he added. Aside from discussing the South China Sea issue, Bunye said Premier Wen invited President Arroyo anew to visit China next year to discuss "exclusively" matters pertaining to the two countries. "The meeting (also) centered on the visits. They talked about the visit of Premier Wen Jiabao last January and he thanked the Philippines for the hospitality, and the President said that as a measure of our good relations, she visited China four times this year and she looks forward to visiting China again next year," Bunye said. "I would like to personally invite you on behalf of President Hu Jintao so that we will have more time. So we will not just be talking during meetings like this, but we will have time to discuss exclusively matters pertaining to our two countries," Bunye quoted Premier Wen as saying. |
| PGMA's forceful call for San Suu Kyi's release catches attention of world media |
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SINGAPORE (via PLDT) – President Gloria
Macapagal-Arroyo’s forceful call for the military rulers of Myanmar to
release freedom fighter Aung San Suu Kyi has caught the attention of the
other leaders of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations
(ASEAN) and the world media judging from the requests for interview coming
from both Philippine and international news organizations. Press Secretary and Presidential Spokesperson Ignacio R. Bunye said the President has been receiving requests for interviews during the last few days not only from members of the Malacañang Press Corps covering her Singapore trip, but also from foreign correspondents following her strong statement on the Myanmar issue. Among the foreign media organizations that sought an interview with the President were CNN, CNBC, BBC and radio and wire services based in Hong Kong, London and China. In a statement released ahead of the informal working dinner of the ASEAN leaders at the Shangri-La Hotel, the President called on Myanmar’s ruling junta for the “early and safe release of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and political prisoners, the full and free participation of political parties, including the National League for Democracy, in the political process, and for the return of democracy.” She said that her position on the Myanmar was backed by the Filipino people and the Philippine Congress. The Philippines, she added, expected that if it signed the ASEAN Charter, Myanmar was committing itself to “returning to the path of democracy and release Aung San Suu Kyi.” Otherwise, it would be extremely difficult for the Philippine Congress to ratify the ASEAN Charter. In drafting the landmark ASEAN document, the Philippines insisted that the protection of human rights be a crucial and integral part of the Charter. Bunye said the President was gratified that the Philippine draft calling for the establishment of the human rights body was adopted and approved by her fellow ASEAN leaders. "The belief of the Filipino people and the Philippine Congress, as well as my own that those who will sign the Charter agree to the objective, spirit and intent of establishing a human rights body in the full protection of human rights within ASEAN," she said. Framers of the ASEAN Charter headed by former Ambassador Rosario Manalo of the Philippines said if only one member state of the ASEAN failed to ratify the basic law through its Congress or Parliament, the Charter shall fail to give legal personality to ASEAN as a group and thus cannot sue and be sued Since Mynamar objected to the planned summit briefing by UN special envoy Ibrahim Gambari, he resorted to briefing individual ASEAN delegation on the Myanmar issue starting with President Arroyo. The President listened attentively as Gambari started briefing her on the result of his recent mission to Myanmar, as he proposed that Myanmar return to democracy and the release from house arrest of opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi who has been in detention over the last 18 years. Bunye described the meeting between Arroyo and Gambari as “very cordial” and that the UN envoy did most of the talking. Gambari described to the President as encouraging his talks with the members of the Myanmar junta and other leaders. Earlier, Myanmar Prime Minister Thien Sein insisted that Gambari report only to the UN Security Council and not to the ASEAN or the East Asia Summit." |
| PGMA cuts short Singapore trip to attend to rescue, relief efforts in wake of 'Lando' |
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SINGAPORE (via PLDT) – Anxious over the
devastation left by typhoon “Lando” in various parts of the country,
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo decided this morning to cut short her
Singapore trip and return to the Philippines early this evening. The President was originally scheduled to return to Manila tomorrow after the four-day 13th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit being held here but informed her fellow leaders that she had to rush home to personally oversee and monitor the government’s relief operations in the disaster areas. Upon arrival at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), the President will motor to the Villamor Air Base in Pasay City for the flight to Davao City, where she will spend the night. The following morning, she will take a helicopter to Surigao City to inspect the flood-ravaged areas and monitor rescue and relief operations being conducted by the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) and Provincial Disaster Coordinating Council (PDCC). From Surigao City, she will proceed to Iligan City before flying back to Manila in the afternoon. “Lando” left a wide swath of destruction across the Bicol region, Visayas and Mindanao as heavy rains and strong winds triggered floods and landslides. The latest count placed the number of deaths related to the typhoon at nine. Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary Louie Cruz explained that there was "nothing strange" about the President’s decision to leave a day ahead of the conclusion of the four-day ASEAN Summit. "There's nothing strange sa pag-uwi ni Presidente dahil tapos na ang mga meeting," Cruz said. "That's it. That's the only explanation." "There are also several intervening factors like there's this incoming typhoon. Kung dumating bukas yung bagyo, it would be dangerous for her to land in Manila," he added. "Secondly, of course you all know typhoon Lando has just exited the Philippine area of responsibility where nine people have died so she has to be there to take stock of the devastation that happened. I think that was in Bicol," Cruz said. The President is expected to board a commercial Philippine Airlines flight at around 5 p.m. from Changi airport and is expected to land at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) at around 8 p.m. Cruz pointed out that the ASEAN meetings scheduled for today, namely, the East Asia Summit, the ASEAN +3 (China, Japan and South Korea) and the bilateral meeting with New Zealand would all be finished as scheduled. Foreign Secretary Alberto Romulo will attend the remaining meetings scheduled for tomorrow. One is the ASEAN-European Union meeting, which Cruz said is a meeting between "troikas" form. The other is the EU and ASEAN, with Singapore as ASEAN chair, Thailand as next Summit's chair and Cambodia as the country coordinator for the ASEAN-EU dialogue relations. |
| PGMA returns to RP with mixed emotions |
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President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo said today she
had mixed feelings about returning home after attending the 13th Association
of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit and Related Summits held at the
Shangri-La hotel in Singapore. The President abruptly cut short her attendance at the ASEAN leaders summit by one day to personally oversee and monitor the government's relief operations in the areas battered by typhoon "Lando" which left a wide swath of destruction in the Bicol region. In her arrival statement, the President said she was "saddened about the plight of the victims of the recent typhoon but satisfied about the results of our efforts in Singapore." ASEAN Leaders representing the 10-member nations formally signed yesterday in Singapore the ASEAN Charter which gives the regional body its legal personality. The landmark document will meld the disparate countries in the region into a more cohesive bloc with a rules-based governing framework and binds the member countries to "strengthen democracy, enhance good governance and the rule of law, and to promote and protect human rights and fundamental freedoms." The signing of the Charter, which came at the close of the regional leaders' summit yesterday afternoon, ended a long search for consensus on a document committing all ASEAN member-countries to a legal, institutional framework. "The fact that ASEAN has signed a Charter that is legally binding and that will create a more powerful regional bloc is an important milestone in the history of our region," the President said. "It sends a signal that ASEAN nations are determined to play a larger, more strategic role to move our region and each member nation forward," she added. Aside from the Charter, three other equally important documents were also signed, namely, the ASEAN Economic Community Blueprint, the ASEAN Declaration on Environmental Sustainability and the ASEAN Declaration on the 13th Session of the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the 3rd Session of the Conference of the Parties Serving as the Meeting of the Parties (CMP) to the Kyoto Protocol. Also during the Summit, the President held bilateral talks with several of the member-nations, notably Myanmar whose military-backed junta came under criticism for its crackdown on protests demanding reforms. The President took the opportunity to voice hers and the Filipino people's agenda calling for democratic reforms in Myanmar and for the release of detained political leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi from 18 years of house arrest. "Let me be very clear: we embrace the advances of ASEAN but remain concerned about the pace of progress in Myanmar and the issue of human rights," the President said. "We particularly deplore the treatment of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. She must be released now," she added. "We are both happy and sad to return home to press forward with our agenda and focus on the needs of the victims of the recent and coming typhoons and also on the needs of the poorest among us during this holiday season," the President said. |
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President
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's Arrival Statement
from the 13th ASEAN Summit November 21, 2007 |
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We return to the Philippines one day ahead of
schedule saddened about the plight of the victims of the recent typhoon but
satisfied that as a result of our efforts in Singapore, the Philippines will
benefit from greater security, stronger economic growth and enhanced
solidarity to make progress to protect our environment. Secretary Romulo and Secretary Favila will stay in Singapore. The fact that ASEAN has signed a Charter that is legally binding and that will create a more powerful regional bloc is an important milestone in the history of our region. It sends a signal that ASEAN nations are determined to play a larger, more strategic role to move our region and each member nation forward. The Philippine economy and our people have only benefited from economic growth due to global engagement. Increased trade between ASEAN nations will continue to accelerate our economic growth, foreign investment and the creation of good jobs for our people. And while we are pleased that we have incorporated language in the Charter that advances human rights and democracy, we remain concerned that the forces of authoritarianism still move rather slowly towards democracy in Myanmar. Let me be clear: We embrace the advances of ASEAN but remain concerned about the pace of progress of Myanmar on the issue of human rights. We particularly deplore the treatment of Aung San Suu Ky. She must be released. Now. We will not rest, in representation of the political leadership and constituency of the Philippines and as a member of ASEAN, in the pursuit of justice and reconciliation in Myanmar. We must be active in advocating peaceful reforms in that nation. It is good for Myanmar, for ASEAN and the world. We are happy to return home to press forward with our agenda and focus on the needs of the victims of the recent as well as the incoming typhoons and also the needs of poorest among us during this holiday season. |
