Phl, Brunei ink 4 MOUs

BRUNEI Darussalam (via PLDT/Smart) – The Philippines and Brunei signed here yesterday several memoranda of understanding on food security and agriculture, shipping and ports, tourism and sports development.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario signed the MOUs for the Philippine government while Princess Masna, who is also the acting foreign affairs minister here, signed for Brunei.

President Aquino, who arrived in a blue Rolls Royce limousine at the sprawling Istana Nurul Iman (Royal Palace) for an official visit, was received by Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah. The two witnessed the signing of the MOUs. The President is scheduled to return to Manila today.

Aquino thanked Bolkiah for the construction of the $3-million Grand Mosque in Cotabato City. “In reciprocation,” the President will invite the sultan at an “appropriate time” to the inauguration of the mosque.

He also thanked Brunei, a member of the International Monitoring Team in Mindanao, for its role in the peace negotiations between the Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.

Aquino also commended the Brunei government’s vital role - as a member of the Organization of Islamic Conference Peace Committee on Southern Philippines - in ensuring that the peace deal with the Moro National Liberation Front holds.

The President also met with representatives of the Filipino community at the Rizqun International Hotel, after spending a private lunch with Secretaries Del Rosario, Sonny Coloma of the Palace’s communications group, Trade Secretary Greg Domingo and Finance Cesar Purisima.

There are over 18,500 Filipino workers here, as of December last year.

Cooperation

In food and agricultural cooperation, both parties agreed to promote each other’s investments through joint venture agreements, and through training and capacity building in both technical and managerial levels.

Each country will also provide the necessary assistance to professionals, technicians and trainees sent by the other government.

With regard to tourism cooperation, both nations will encourage visits to each other’s country, and both governments will carry out joint promotional programs through sharing of brochures and promotional materials.

A twinning program, cited in the MOUs, encourages the two countries to “promote and sell each other’s destinations jointly.”

The two countries will also “cooperate in the promotion of medical tourism through exchange of information and participation in exhibitions between both countries.”

The two countries, according to the MOU on tourism, shall “encourage their public and private sectors to invest in tourism and participate in tourism programs.”

The MOU also seeks to “promote closer cooperation and commercial arrangements amongst respective national airlines.” The two countries’ flag carriers are Philippine Airlines and Royal Brunei Airways.

In sports cooperation, it was agreed that there should be an “organization and convening of joint sporting events between the two countries including the border games on sports development.”

President Aquino also visited the new Muzra Container Terminal (MCT) Services SDN BHD at the Jabatan Pelabuhan, which is managed and operated by Filipino businessman Enrique Razon of the International Container Terminal Services Inc. (ICTSI).

In May 2009, ICTSI signed agreements with the sultan and with Yang Di-Pertuan for the operation and maintenance of the MCT for four years, extendable for a maximum of two years.

The MCT, located at the estuary of the Brunei River, is Brunei’s only international container terminal and the country’s premier trading gateway.

Same plane, small budget

President Aquino left for a two-day state visit to Brunei with a 55-man delegation on an F-28 passenger aircraft, the same presidential plane used by his mother when she visited the wealthy sultanate as president 23 years ago.

The Palace said the trip would cost only around P2 million, the lowest spending by the government for a presidential trip since the administration of former President Fidel Ramos.

Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr. said the budget covers expenses for food, supplies and other requirements for telecommunications.

Coloma said that in Aquino’s brief first visit to Brunei in 1988 with his mother, he found time to buy pasalubongs (gifts) for his nieces and nephews.

“As usual, the schedule was quite hectic and he suddenly realized that he had to buy pasalubongs for his pamangkins (nieces and nephews). He bought Ninja Turtles,” Coloma told Manila-based reporters here.

Yesterday, it was the sultan’s turn to receive gifts from Aquino - 12 boxes of Philippine-made ice cream. Bolkiah reportedly likes Philippine ice cream.

The President and his entourage left Villamor Air Base at 8:30 p.m. Tuesday.

In his departure statement, the President said he would discuss cooperation on fighting transnational crimes as well as human and drug trafficking. He said he also hoped to tackle disaster preparedness, climate change and the high oil prices with Brunei officials.

“The President’s two-day state visit to Brunei seeks to reinforce our strong ties with one of our partners in the ASEAN. There are various areas of cooperation wherein the two countries can work together, and the President’s visit will formalize several agreements that our government has been working on,” Ochoa said.

“The foreign visits of the President are usually short but productive and reflect the President’s commitment to make the most out of his trips abroad,” he added. With Aurea Calica