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| Palau president on 2-day state visit to RP |
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President Tommy Remengsau Jr. of the Republic of Palau arrived today for a
two-day state visit to the Philippines. The Continental Air Micronesia flight bearing the Palau leader and First Lady Debbie Remengsau landed at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) at 10 a.m. this morning. Vice President Noli de Castro led the welcome party for the visiting dignitary which also included Education Secretary Jesli Lapus, Philippine Ambassador to Palau Ramoncito Marino, Palau Ambassador to the Philippines Ramon Rechibei and Palau Senate president Surangel Whipps. From the NAIA, President Remengsau proceeded to the Manila Diamond Hotel where his 16-man delegation is billeted. President Remengsau’s first official activity is the wreath-laying ceremony this afternoon at the Rizal Monument in Luneta Park. Appropriate arrival honors await President Remengsau when he is officially welcomed by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in Malacanang tomorrow morning. The two leaders are scheduled to hold bilateral talks and sign cooperation agreements before the official luncheon banquet to be tendered in his honor. Palau’s Third Secretary, Mr. Alfred Fritz said President Remengsau would explore possible cooperation between the Philippines and Palau in the fields of education, health, and information and communications technology (ICT). An island nation in the Pacific Ocean some 800 kilometers east of the Philippines, Palau has a population of approximately 21,000. Filipinos comprise the second largest ethnic group in the island nation, and Tagalog, although not an official language, is the 4th leading dialect in Palau. Fritz said the Manila-Palau flight takes only about two-and-a half hours; Davao-Palau, 45 minutes. He added that most Filipinos in Palau are engaged in the hotel, tour, construction, and restaurant industries while some work as domestic helpers. |
| RP, Palau must work together to cushion impact of global threats to their economies—PGMA |
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President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo said today that the
Philippines and Palau must work together to cushion the impact of current
global threats weighing down the economies of the two neighboring Pacific
nations. The President made the statement when she offered a toast to Philippine-Palau relations during the official luncheon tendered in honor of visiting Palau President Tommy Remengesau Jr. today in Malacanang. “It is important for us to work together because there are global forces in the world today that threaten the resiliency of our respective economies,” the President said. She said the two island nations must confront the threats of the economic slowdown in North America, and the historic spike in the prices of oil and rice in the world market. It is essential that the Philippines and Palau collaborate and explore ideas on how to confront these global threats considering that both are rice and oil-importing countries, the President said. “So, His Excellency’s state visit is an action to continue to bolster our economies through more economic exchange and to confer with each other on cooperative steps we can take to cushion ourselves in the Pacific against these global issues,” the President said. In his acceptance toast, President Remengesau acknowledged the need for Philippine-Palau cooperation against global threats, including the risk posed by climate change and terrorism. President Remengesau lauded his host’s pioneering efforts against extremism in the region, and the over 4,000 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who, he said, augment Palau’s workforce. A world-class diving destination, President Remengesau said Palau’s corals, water table and atolls have already been affected by the rise in seawater level, and the El Nino and La Nina weather phenomenon. The Palau leader said he is hoping that the Philippines and Palau would expand trade in goods and tourism, and called for greater collaboration in reducing harmful emissions, as well as in the search for renewable sources of energy. “Cooperation is the key to our success,” he said. He also asked President Arroyo’s blessings to make Presidential daughter Luli, who once went diving in Palau, as “honorary promoter of goodwill” between the two countries. President Remengesau also acknowledged the Philippines’ international reputation for hospitality as “well deserved,” as he extended his best wishes to President Arroyo who is celebrating her birthday on April 5. “Advance happy birthday Madam President. Maraming salamat po,” he said. President Remengesau’s visit will certainly foster greater cooperation and bolster the two nation’s economies, complemented by Palau’s expertise on environmental protection, the Philippines’ quality education system and the world-class Filipino workforce, President Arroyo said. |
| RP-Palau seal 4 agreements |
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The Philippines and the Republic of Palau sealed today four
agreements designed to further enhance the two nations’ cooperation in
education, health services, air services and telecommunications. Signed in Malacanang on the last day of the two-day state visit of Palau President Tommy Remengesau Jr. to the Philippines, the agreements are: Amendment to the Bilateral Air Services Agreement by and between the Philippines and Palau; Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) on Academic Cooperation between the Commission on Higher Education of the Philippines and the Palau Community College. Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Philippines Palau on Medical Tourism/Medical Referral and Higher Education Training in Health; and, MOU between the Philippine Long Distance and Telephone Company and Palau’s National Communications Corporation (PNCC). The Amendment to the Bilateral Air Services Agreement will pave the way for the expansion of the 2003 air services agreement between the two countries. In her message at the state luncheon she hosted for the Palau leader, the President said that “with the expansion of the air service agreement the “two-way exchange of tourists will be bigger than ever.” She added that the decision of the Philippines and Palau to expand their air agreement comes at a time when the two Pacific countries are making a name for themselves as favorable diving sites in the world. The agreement was signed by Chairman of the Philippine Air Services and Transportation and Communications Undersecretary Doroteo Reyes for the Philippines, and Palau Minister of Commerce and Trade Otoichi Besebes. The MOA on Academic Cooperation allows the two countries to promote cooperation in higher education and professional training, including the development of institutional linkages at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels. Commission on Higher Education Chair Romulo Neri signed for the Philippines, while Minister of State Temmy Shmull signed for Palau. The MOU on Medical Tourism/ Medical Referral and Higher Education Training in Health would enhance further bilateral relations with respect to medical tourism, and cited the importance of the exchange of knowledge and expertise between the contracting parties. Health Undersecretary Alexander Padilla, Eduardo Jarque for Tourism and Neri for education signed for the Philippines, and for Palau, Minister of Health Victor Yano, Minister of Commerce and Trade Otoichi Besebes and Minister of State Temmy Shmull. The Philippines and Palau have agreed to exert efforts to pursue and study the following objectives under the MOU between the PLDT and Palau National Telecommunications Corporation(PNCC): -Establishment of direct relations between PLDT and PNCC to allow direct exchange of traffic between the parties. -Establishment of international mobile services between PLDT’s mobile subsidiary SMART and PNCC. -Establishment of wireless broadband internet service in Palau, and, -Construction of a suitable submarine cable system to cater to the international telecommunications requirements of Palau and the Philippines. “Indeed, it is important for us to work together in the face of global forces that threaten the resiliency of our economy,” the President said. |
| RP eyes intensified economic exchanges with Palau |
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President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo said today that the
Philippines is looking forward to do more economic exchanges with Palau
particularly on fisheries and aquaculture technology and development. In her toast during the official luncheon banquet in honor of visiting Palau President Tommy Remengesau Jr., the President said Palau, the Philippines’ closest neighbor, is among the most attractive dive spots in the world. She pointed out that one area of economic interaction between the two countries is in fisheries development. Palau hosts two Filipino companies conducting joint fishing operations in the island republic. The two Filipino firms support the food requirements of tourists from all over the world who troop to Palau to enjoy the country’s famous dive spots. “And we hope that we can soon forge a bilateral memorandum of understanding on fisheries cooperation so that this economic exchange will expand even more,” the President said. President Arroyo said President Remengesau is keen on learning from the Philippine experience in aquaculture development, particularly fish-cage technology, and grouper (lapu-lapu) and crab culture. Groupers and crabs are very popular foodstuff among tourists visiting Palau. The Philippines aquaculture industry has won recognition as one of the world’s best. The country is 9th biggest producer of aquaculture products worldwide. |
| Palau, RP ink 2 agreements to boost tourism industry |
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President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and Palau President Tommy
Remengesau Jr. witnessed today the signing of agreements on air services and
medical tourism that are expected to boost the tourism industries of the two
Pacific island nations. The first agreement calls for the expansion and enhancement of the 2003 Philippines-Palau Bilateral Air Services Agreement. The other is a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Medical Tourism/Medical Referral and Higher Education Training in Health. Both agreements are expected to facilitate the Philippine tourism industry’s goal of attaining five million tourist arrivals by 2010 under the Medium Term Philippine Development Plan. The President said that like Palau, the Philippines also offers many famous and world-class dive spots and the resulting increase in tourist arrivals would likewise see the growth of hotels, resorts and other allied services, including the booming local medical tourism industry. “That is why we are happy that today there was a signing of an amendment, an expansion of our air services agreement with each other, so that this two-way exchange of tourists – diving tourists and medical tourists will become bigger than ever,” the President said. At present, groups of Palau residents visit Davao City for their dental services and eye checkups. Davao City, which is just one-and-a-half hours by plane from Palau, is noted for its excellent medical facilities at very affordable cost. The enhanced air linkage between the two countries will also enable Palau residents to buy fresh fruits and vegetables, including the exotic “durian” that are abundant in Davao. Tour operators from Palau have also joined travel tours and expositions in Davao, which has become a favorite shopping destination among Palau residents. Davao products are about two-thirds cheaper than the same goods in Palau. Topping the list of tourists/divers visiting Davao and Palau are those coming from Europe, Taiwan, China and Japan. |
