Noy to woo businessmen in trips

MANILA, Philippines - Aside from strengthening bilateral and regional ties with Indonesia and Singapore during his forthcoming state visits, President Aquino would also be enticing leaders and businessmen of both nations to join in the government’s Public-Private Partnership programs.

His March 7 visit to Jakarta and March 9 visit to the state-island of Singapore follow the Association of Southeast Asian Nations’ (ASEAN) tradition of a new head of state like Aquino – who assumed office on June 30, 2010 – paying courtesy visits to fellow ASEAN members.

“The Philippines looks forward to more robust Philippines-Indonesia and Philippines-Singapore bilateral relations, and a stronger ASEAN geared towards building a community by 2015,” Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto del Rosario said.

The President is to meet Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, with whom he will discuss fisheries cooperation and maritime boundary delimitation, among other matters, according to the Department of Foreign Affairs.

Aside from these, Aquino will also witness the signing of three agreements, among them a memorandum of understanding on basic education, sports cooperation and on coordination in preventing and combating transnational crimes and capacity building.

In Singapore, he will be meeting with President SR Nathan, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew, and they will discuss issues of bilateral and regional concerns.

The DFA reported that an orchid breed will be named after Aquino at the Singapore Botanical Gardens.

Aquino has a scheduled briefing and tours of the Changi Water Reclamation Plant, Resorts World Sentosa, Singapore Technologies Kinetics Ltd. and the Changi International Airport.

He will also meet with the Filipino community in Singapore and business and industry leaders.

He is also to speak before the Singapore Business Forum/International Enterprise Singapore Eminent Leaders Lecture and the Singapore Management University. - With Pia Lee-Brago