| PGMA leaves Sunday for Italy, Spain |
| President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo will leave tomorrow, Sunday (June 25) for
a seven-day official visit to the Vatican City, the Republic of Italy, and the Kingdom of
Spain in an effort to forge closer cultural and friendly relations as well as economic,
trade and investments.
The Chief Executive will be accompanied by First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo, some members of her Cabinet and business delegation. Among the Cabinet members who will form part of the President’s entourage are Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo, Trade and Industry Secretary Peter Favila, Tourism Secretary Joseph Ace Durano, National Security Adviser Norberto Gonzales, Defense Secretary Avelino Cruz, Jr. and Government Mass Media Group Head Cerge Remonde, and Press Secretary and Presidential Spokesman Ignacio R. Bunye. The President’s visit to Rome will be highlighted by a private audience with Pope Benedict XVI at the Apostolic Palace. She is also scheduled to meet with Secretary of State Angelo Sodano including Italian President Giorgio Napolitano and Prime Minister Romano Prodi. The President will also visit the Basilica Crypt of Pope John Paul II. The late Holy Pontiff’s burial place is where Pope John XXIII lay before he was moved to a chapel in 2001 after his beatification. From Italy, the President and her official delegation will fly to Madrid upon the invitation of His Royal Highness King Juan Carlos I, a milestone in the country’s deepening relations with Spain. It can be recalled that ties between the Philippines and Spain have been very cordial since the establishment of diplomatic relations in September 27, 1947. In 2005, Spain was the Philippines’ 32nd trading partner accounting for 0.18 percent (US$154,800.000) of the total Philippine trade with the world of US$86 billion; ranked 26th as export market accounting for 0.09percent (US$36,900,000) of the total Philippine exports to the world of US$41billion; and 34th as an import source accounting for 0.02 percent (US$900,000) of the total Philippine imports from the world of US$45 billion. Shortly after her arrival in Spain, the President will visit the Congreso de los Diputados (Congress of Deputies and Senate of Spain) and the Ayuntamiento de Madrid. During her visit, the President will offer a wreath at the Rizal Monument at the Avenida de las Islas Filipinas in Madrid. The monument, which is a replica of the Rizal monument in Luneta, was built in 1996 in commemoration of the death centenary of Rizal. She will have a luncheon meeting with the officers and members of the Confederacion Espanola de Organizaciones Empresariales (CEOE). Highlighting the President’s itinerary is her meeting with King Juan Carlos I. She will also have a Four-eyes meeting with Spanish President Jose Luis-Rodriguez Zapatero. President Macapagal-Arroyo will then attend the Expanded Bilateral Meeting together with her official delegation and their Spanish counterpart. She will likewise attend the dinner hosted in her honor by President Zapatero. While in Spain, the President will receive several callers and visitors who will pay a separate courtesy call on her. They are former Spanish President Jose Maria Aznar, the Union of Fenosa/Soluziona, Partido Popular president Mariano Rajoy, and Ruiz Mateos, who is interested to invest in the Philippines. She will meet with the Filipino community numbering about 40,000. Of the said figure, 26,400 are females and the remaining 13,600 are males. The President’s official visit to Spain, will be capped by a luncheon meeting with their Majesties King Juan Carlos I and Queen Sofia. She will attend the Filipino-Hispano Friendship Day Reception before she departs for Manila. |
| President leaves for 7-day Europe visit with economic, religious goals on agenda |
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo left this morning for a seven-day official visit to the Vatican City, the Republic of Italy, and the Kingdom of Spain to reinvigorate economic, religious and other bilateral relations between the Philippines and three of its major partners in Europe. The President, accompanied by First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo, some members of her Cabinet and Congress and a business delegation, among others, boarded Philippine Airlines Flight 001 at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) at around 10:30 a.m.. Among the Cabinet members in the President's entourage are Press Secretary and Presidential Spokesman Ignacio R. Bunye, Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo, Trade and Industry Secretary Peter Favila, Tourism Secretary Joseph Ace Durano, National Security Adviser Norberto Gonzales, Defense Secretary Avelino Cruz Jr. and Government Mass Media Group Head Cerge Remonde. In her departure statement, the President said she would have an audience with Pope Benedict XVI at the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican. She also said that she would inform the Holy Father about the abolition of the death penalty in the Philippines under Republic Act No. 9346 which she approved yesterday. "Nagpapasalamat ako sa Kongreso dahil meron akong madadalang magandang pasalubong sa Santo Papa Benedicto XVI: ang ating abolition ng death penalty. (I thank Congress because I will be able to give the Pope a very important present: the abolition of the death penalty"), the Chief Executive said. She added that she would also try to enhance economic links with Italy and Spain, particularly in trade, investments and tourism areas. President Arroyo has named Vice President Noli de Castro as government caretaker while she is in Europe. Before leaving, the President held a meeting with National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) officials during which she instructed NDCC Executive Director Glenn Rabonza to immediately implement additional disaster preparedness measures in the event of an eruption of Mt. Bulusan in Sorsogon. Those who attended the meeting held at the VIP Lounge of the NAIA included Vice President de Castro, Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita, Presidential Chief of Staff Mike Defensor, NDCC Undersecretary Ernesto Carolina, Department of Science and Technology Undersecretary Graciano Yumul Jr., Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) Deputy Director Bartolome Bautista, Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief of Staff Gen. Generoso Senga, and Army Chief Lt. Gen Hermogenes Esperon, Jr. The President’s visit to Italy will be highlighted by a private audience with Pope Benedict XVI at the Apostolic Palace. She is also scheduled to meet with Secretary of State Angelo Sodano, Italian President Giorgio Napolitano and Prime Minister Romano Prodi. The President will also visit the Basilica Crypt of Pope John Paul II. The late Pontiff’s burial place is where Pope John XXIII lay before he was moved to a chapel in 2001 after his beatification. From Italy, the President and her official delegation will fly to Madrid upon the invitation of King Juan Carlos I, a milestone in the country’s deepening relations with Spain. It can be recalled that ties between the Philippines and Spain have been very cordial since the establishment of diplomatic relations on Sept. 27, 1947. Shortly after her arrival in Spain, the President will visit the Congreso de los Diputados (Congress of Deputies and Senate of Spain) and the Ayuntamiento de Madrid. The President will offer a wreath at the Rizal Monument at the Avenida de las Islas Filipinas in Madrid. The monument, which is a replica of the Rizal Monument in Luneta, was built in 1996 in commemoration of the death centenary of Rizal. She will have a luncheon meeting with the officers and members of the Confederacion Espanola de Organizaciones Empresariales (CEOE). Highlighting the President’s itinerary in Madrid is her meeting with King Juan Carlos I. She will also have a Four-eyes meeting with Spanish President Jose Luis-Rodriguez Zapatero. President Arroyo will then attend the Expanded Bilateral Meeting together with her official delegation and their Spanish counterpart. She will likewise attend the dinner hosted in her honor by President Zapatero. While in Spain, the President will receive several callers and visitors. They are former Spanish President Jose Maria Aznar, the Union of Fenosa/Soluziona, Partido Popular president Mariano Rajoy, and Ruiz Mateos, who is interested to invest in the Philippines. She will also meet with the Filipino community there numbering about 40,000. Of them, 26,400 are females and the remaining 13,600 are males. The President’s official visit to Spain will be capped by a luncheon meeting with King Juan Carlos I and Queen Sofia. She will attend the Filipino-Hispano Friendship Day Reception before she departs for Manila. |