GMA to meet business leaders in New York

NEW YORK (via PLDT) – Ignoring calls for her to cut short her trip, President Arroyo arrived here last night for a series of talks with business leaders and to campaign for the election of Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) of the United Nations.

Mrs. Arroyo and First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo as well as other members of the delegation arrived on a chartered flight at the Signature Airport in Newark, New Jersey at 10:15 p.m. (10:15 a.m. Manila time) and were billeted at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel here.

She just came from Washington where she met US President Bush at the White House to discuss issues of mutual interest such as counterterrorism, trade, food security, Myanmar, and the M/V Princess of the Stars tragedy.

She also met other US officials, including Defense Secretary Robert Gates, Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer, and Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte.

Today, she will visit the New York Stock Exchange to witness the signing of a memorandum of understanding between NYSE chief executive officer Duncan Niederauer and Philippine Stock Exchange chairman Jose Vitug.

After the event, she will proceed to the Bellevue Hospital to visit Filipino health practitioners there.

In the afternoon, Mrs. Arroyo will meet with Vikas Kapoor, president and chief executive officer of iQOR at the Waldorf. The firm specializes in collection, accounts receivable and customer retention services. It is the third largest debt collection company in the world.

iQOR has a network of call centers in North America, Europe, India and the Philippines.

Mrs. Arroyo will later witness the signing of a new lease agreement between Clark Development Corp. and Berthaphil, a firm that developed areas in the economic zone into industrial and business parks.

At 6 p.m., Mrs. Arroyo is scheduled to host a reception for UN Permanent Representatives at the UN Headquarters here to pitch for the candidature of Santiago to the ICJ.

From the UN headquarters, she will proceed to the Hilton Hotel for a program with members of the Filipino community.

On Friday morning, she will attend Mass at the St. Patrick’s Cathedral with members of the First Family. That day is also Mr. Arroyo’s 62nd birthday. The First Family would likely celebrate his birthday on Friday night in a private dinner.

At 11 a.m., Mrs. Arroyo will receive officials of NTC Marketing Inc. (Libby Fruits) at the Waldorf led by the firm’s chairman Michael DeRose. After the meeting, she will witness the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between NTC and the National Development Co.

This will be followed by more calls at the Waldorf from officials of various business groups, including Rotec, Target Sourcing, APAC, and Citi Group.

The President will also deliver a keynote speech at the seminar on Financing for Philippine Infrastructure and Privatization Projects at the same hotel at noon.

Officials said Mrs. Arroyo might fly back to Washington on Friday night for a possible meeting with Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama.

The meeting of Mrs. Arroyo with Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain in Washington had already been confirmed.