Noy caps Paris visit with business meetings

PARIS – President Aquino capped his three-day visit to this city by meeting with business executives who have expressed interest in investing in the Philippines.

He met with officials of Airbus on Tuesday to talk about enhanced cooperation between the Philippines and the European airplane manufacturer.

Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. noted that significant Airbus A350 components like actuator, galleys and toilets are sourced from the Philippines.

“The Philippine aviation industry is ramping up with new capacity. The Philippines is a high potential source of components manufacturing,” Coloma said.

The Philippines and Airbus have “agreed to take appropriate measures for the joint development and production of an airliner,” according to a Malacañang press statement. 

Airbus, the world’s leading manufacturer of commercial jetliners and military airlifters, was established in 1967 by France, Germany and Britain to boost European cooperation in aviation technology.

Aquino also met with officials of CRH, the first and biggest Irish investment in the Philippines. CRH is planning to introduce its company, cement manufacturing operations and expansion plans in the Philippines. It is one of the world’s leading building materials companies that has a presence in 37 countries.

Aquino also interacted with officials of Sanofi Pasteur, a company that developed a dengue fever vaccine candidate that may be introduced to the Philippines. Health Secretary Janette Garin said the government is now formulating guidelines on the use of the vaccine candidate. 

“Registration of the vaccine by the Food and Drug Administration is underway and is expected to be completed soon,” Garin said in a statement issued by Coloma.

Sanofi Pasteur’s dengue vaccine candidate became the first to complete phase three or the advanced, pre-product launch clinical studies in 2014. Studies involving more than 40,000 subjects are still being conducted in 15 dengue-endemic and non-endemic countries, including the Philippines. 

A separate meeting was also held between the President and Anders Skeini, chief executive officer of Jacobi Carbons Group AB, a Swedish company that produces activated carbons using coconut-based raw materials. The company recently put up an activated carbon manufacturing facility in Cagayan de Oro, which sources raw materials from local coconut farmers.