Aquino gets warm welcome in Singapore

SINGAPORE – President Aquino received a warm welcome here yesterday upon arrival at the Changi Airport, after a brief flight from neighboring Jakarta in Indonesia.                            

The Philippine delegation that included former Sen. Manuel Roxas II, a defeated vice presidential candidate in the May 2010 polls, was received by Minister Lim Swee Say, Ambassador Lim Cheng and Philippine Ambassador Minda Calaguian-Cruz and other embassy officials.                      

Aquino’s entourage proceeded to the Changi Water Reclamation Plant, a $3.5-billion facility that supplies 30 percent of the city’s water requirement.     Aquino is scheduled to meet today with President SR Nathan and Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong to discuss issues of bilateral and regional concerns.

A lunch will be hosted by Lee at Istana while a state banquet will be hosted by Nathan tonight, also at Istana.

An orchid breed will be named after Aquino at the Singapore Botanical Gardens.

Aquino will also speak before the Singapore Business Forum or International Enterprise Singapore Eminent Leaders Lecture (Philippines-Partnership for Progress) and the Singapore Management University.