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President Benigno S. Aquino III is not fond of traveling, but he may need to do it more now because of the invitations for state visits from his counterparts and to better convince them “to take a more serious look” at investing in the Philippines.
Aquino was set to return to Manila early last night from Ho Chi Minh City, which is his final stop in Vietnam to pay a courtesy call on Secretary General Nong Duc Manh of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam.
The President said after the closing ceremonies of the 17th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit here last Saturday that he has been invited by his counterparts to visit their respective countries.
Among them were Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, New Zealand Prime Minister John Key, Thailand Prime Minister Vejjajiva Abhisit, and Myanmar Prime Minister Thein Sein.
The President said that while the idea of visiting their countries and getting to know more of their culture is enticing, he has yet to commit to these invitations.
In the same token, Aquino invited his counterparts to visit the Philippines.
He invited Brunei Darrusalam Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah, South Korea President Lee Myung-bak, and Vietnam Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung of this host country particularly to the public-private partnership program (PPP) conference in Manila on November 18 and 19 this year.
The President is also set to attend the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit in Yokohama in mid-November. He also has plans to visit Indonesia and China.
Apart from pushing the interests of the Philippines during his series of bilateral meetings at the sidelines of the summits here last October 28 to 30, Aquino who is just on his fourth month in office was able to introduce himself as the Philippines’ new leader.
Although a highly-anticipated bilateral meeting with Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao did not push through “due to time constraints,” Aquino was able to meet with his counterparts in Vietnam, Myanmar, Thailand, Brunei, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, and Australia.
The meetings were “friendly and cordial,” said Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning Office (PCDSPO) Secretary Ramon Carandang as Aquino also aimed to use them as venue to introduce himself to his counterparts and get to know them better.
Carandang said some leaders already knew Aquino as they had already known his late mother, former President Corazon Aquino, an icon of democracy in Asia.
At the same time, the President was also able to push for the interests of the Philippines.
In his speech for the 13th ASEAN-China Summit last Friday, the President proudly informed his counterparts of the good developments in the Philippines despite the recent global financial crunch.
“I am glad to inform you that despite the global economic slowdown, the Philippine economy has continued to grow. For the first six months of this year GDP grew by a record 7.9 percent, my country’s highest in over three decades,” Aquino said.
“My government is putting in place measures to ensure that economic growth becomes more equitable and reforms to further enhance the domestic climate for investors. I invite you to take a more serious look at opportunities to invest in my country.”
Most notable of his bilateral meetings were with Brunei, Thailand, Japan, Korea as well as Myanmar.
Aquino was able to propose to the Brunei leader to make Mindanao as its “Halal Food Production Center” with the latter expressing openness for such proposal.
Aquino and the Thailand Prime Minister, during their meeting last Thursday, agreed for more cooperation among their governments in dealing with common problems such as the effects of their strengthening currencies against the United States’ dollar.
In his meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan, Aquino was able to obtain P21.4-billion in official development assistance (ODA) from the Japanese government for the improvement and maintenance of Philippine roads. In the same meeting he also asked the Japanese government to ease the requirements for Filipino nurses applying for work in Japan.
Meanwhile in his talks with the Myanmar Prime Minister, Aquino was able to express his stand on the upcoming elections in the military junta-ruled Myanmar and the continued detention of its opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi.
“President Aquino expressed the willingness of the Philippines to share the Philippine experience in the transition from dictatorship to democracy. He cited our history where in the 1980s, we made a successful transition that was relatively violence free. He said that if the Myanmar government wishes to learn from our experience then we will be very happy to share our experiences with them,” Carandang said.
The President also joined calls of the international community for the immediate release of Aung San Suu Kyi but it was turned down by the Myanmar leader.
HOMEWARD BOUND
Aquino, who wrapped up his six-day visit in Vietnam, was expected to return to Manila at 7 p.m. Sunday.
It was the President’s second overseas journey which cost around P11 million of taxpayers’ money.
Palace officials however could not yet confirm if the President will pay his respects to his deceased parents on November 1 or November 2. November 1, All Saints’ Day, is a holiday while November 2, All Souls’ Day, remains a working day.
“Don’t think so. No plans yet firmed up by the family. They will wait until he comes back,” Presidential Spokesman Edwin Lacierda said in a text message when asked if the President will visit the tomb of his parents on November 1.
In Vietnam, the President witnessed the signing of four agreements on defense and education, oil spill preparedness and search and rescue at sea designed to boost cooperation between the two countries.
DISASTER MITIGATION COOPERATION PUSHED
Recalling “Katring,” the powerful typhoon that ravaged Northern Luzon two weeks ago, and the strong earthquake and “tsunami” that hit in Indonesia, Aquino III alerted world leaders to work together to mitigate the effects of climate change.
He urged Australia, China, and other neighboring countries to do their part in developing disaster management mechanisms.
“In the area of disaster risk management, Australia has been active in developing disaster early warning systems in our part of the world. The urgent need to link disaster management mechanisms within ASEAN and the region is highlighted by the recent calamities that have adversely affected many countries, most notably Indonesia. With this in mind, I invite Australia to undertake enhanced cooperation with the ASEAN Committee on Disaster Management (ACDM),” he appealed during the 1st ASEAN-Australia Summit last Saturday.
Source: Manila Bulletin
HANOI, Vietnam – The Republic of the Philippines and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam may be separately laying claim to the Spratly Islands but both governments agree in pushing for the strict implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the “East Sea” or the South China Sea towards a future Code of Conduct in the marginal sea east of China.
This was the main issue agreed upon by President Benigno S. Aquino III and Vietnamese President Nguyen Minh Triet during their bilateral meeting Tuesday afternoon at the Presidential Palace here. The two countries, along with Malaysia, Brunei, and China are claiming the group of islands of more than 750 reefs, islets, atolls, cays, and islands in the South China Sea that is believed to contain significant oil and gas deposits.
The two leaders also have a similar stand concerning their neighboring junta-ruled Myanmar.
“They talked about the shared position on the South China Sea that all claimants should abide by the Code of Conduct. They both agreed that Myanmar should do more to move toward democracy,” Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning Office (PCDSPO) Secretary Ramon “Ricky” Carandang.
Aquino earlier said he would make strong statements about Myanmar during his attendance in the 17th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit here starting Thursday.
During the meeting, Triet and some of his ministers requested for the release of the 32 Vietnamese fishermen arrested in the Philippines for fishing in our territory.
The President promised a quick review of their case in accordance with Philippine laws. “He said that 11 of the fishermen had already been freed,” Carandang said.
The two leaders also agreed to strengthen and expand mutually beneficial cooperation in defense, agriculture, education and training, and shipping. Aquino also met with Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung after meeting the Vietnamese President Tuesday.
At the state banquet hosted by Triet later Tuesday, Aquino spoke highly of the Philippine-Vietnam relations, even calling his counterpart, “my very good friend, President Nguyen Minh Triet.”
“Mr. President, allow me to thank you for your gracious invitation to me, to undertake this State Visit, the first of my presidency. The warm welcome accorded to me and to the entire Philippine delegation by the Vietnamese people and government is a clear sign of the close relations between our two nations,” Aquino said.
He vowed continued support of his administration to the government of Vietnam and its people.
“It is a pleasure to be here, tonight, to express our best wishes to the government of Vietnam and the Vietnamese people as you undertake the chairmanship of the ASEAN. In regional unity, we have the means to sustain economic growth, advance our shared development agenda, and promote regional peace and stability.
Tonight is also a testament to our mutual commitment to find additional means and areas of cooperation that will benefit the Filipino and Vietnamese people,” he added.
The Vietnamese President, meanwhile, reiterated his confidence that the Philippines will make even bigger progress under President Aquino’s leadership.
“The vibrant friendship between our two nations has already found expression in diverse areas, particularly in trade, fisheries, meteorology and hydrography, sports, and finance. With the signing of four more agreements, our respective governments are tangibly strengthening cooperation in higher education, defense, and maritime affairs,” Aquino said.
“Next year, we will celebrate the 35th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Philippines and Vietnam. It will be an excellent occasion for cultural exchanges and people-to-people activities to commemorate our friendship.
As the Philippines takes the first steps toward a more transparent, responsive, and economically competitive government, be assured, Excellency, that Vietnam remains an important partner of the Philippines. Indeed, our relationship will continue to prosper under my administration,” he added.
Source: Manila Bulletin
HANOI, Vietnam – President Benigno S. Aquino III arrived on Tuesday in Vietnam for a six-day visit, during which he intends to enhance the Philippines’ ties with its Asian neighbors and attract ore investments in the eight bilateral meetings.
Within hours after his noontime arrival at the Noi Bai International Airport here, Aquino was meeting with Vietnam’s President Nguyen Minh Triet at the Presidential Palace.
“They (two Presidents) talked about the shared position on the South China Sea that all claimants should abide by the Code of Conduct,” said Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning Secretary Ricky Carandang.
“They agreed that Myanmar should do more to move toward democracy. The Vietnamese also asked for the release of the 32 fishermen arrested in the Philippines for fishing in our territory,” Carandang added.
He said Aquino informed the Vietnamese leader that 11 of the fishermen had already been freed and promised a quick review of the others’ case in accordance with Philippine laws.
Aquino also met separately with Vietnam Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, who was not present during the bilateral meeting.
However, his scheduled meeting with Secretary General Nong Duc Manh of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam was canceled, Carandang said.
Earlier, Aquino was welcomed at the airport Philippine Embassy officials, led by Ambassador Jerril Santos, and some Vietnamese Cabinet officials.
Aquino headed straight to the Grand Plaza Hanoi Hotel for a short stop before meeting President Nguyen who hosted arrival honors for him at 2:30 p.m. at the Presidential Palace.
Their meeting was the first in a series of bilateral meetings for Aquino, who said he has appointments with eight heads of state, including Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, at the sidelines of the 17th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit and Related Summits here this week.
Only on his second overseas trip since taking oath last June, Aquino will first hold a two-day state visit and forge four accords on academic cooperation, defense, oil spill preparedness, and sea rescue with Vietnam.
Afterwards, he will join Southeast Asian leaders for an annual summit and related meetings in Hanoi.
“My visit reinforces the Philippines’ recognition of Vietnam’s chairmanship of ASEAN in 2010, and affirms the complex and diverse ties that bind the Philippines with Vietnam,” Aquino said before leaving Manila.
The President said he will also meet with Filipino and Vietnamese businessmen to encourage them to invest more in the Philippines. Another meeting with the Filipino community is also arranged in Vietnam.
He said Vietnam has been a friend and a strategic partner to the Philippines for the past 34 years.
The bilateral ties between the Philippines and Vietnam, established in 1976, have consistently grown in terms of trade and investments, education, defense, fisheries, maritime and ocean affairs, and environmental concerns.
“Our bilateral trade, amounting to US$1.51 billion in the first half of this year, is evidence of the dynamic economic ties between our two countries,” the President said.
Aquino expressed hope of learning from Vietnam, especially on how to maximize land resources and agricultural production.
“Well, there are four (agreements) that we will be signing this afternoon amongst them are disaster preparedness, the cooperation with our coast guard and their forces with regards to disaster at sea, on higher education, and fourth on defense. Well, we have common problems they are one of our closest neighbors – about two hour flight probably the same from Manila to Davao. There are really areas that overlap, especially on global climate change. You will notice that their agricultural production is something worth emulating. We hope to have closer ties with them, share our knowledge and share our experiences and perhaps solve some of our own problems,” Aquino said, referring to the Socialist Repubic of Vietnam – the Philippines’ 14th bilateral trading partner and 12th export market.
The President has taken with him a 52-man delegation to Vietnam, composed of Cabinet members, senior government officials, administrative and security staff.
Accompanying him are Foreign Affairs Alberto Romulo, Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima, Trade Secretary Gregory Domingo, Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin, Commission on Higher Education head Patricia Licuanan, Presidential Management Staff chief Julia Abad, and Carandang.
Foreign Affairs Undersecretary for Policy Erlinda Basilio, Chief Presidential Protocol Miguel Perez-Rubio, Trade Undersecretary Ramon Kabigting, Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary for ASEAN Affairs Victoria Bataclan, Foreign Affairs Cristina G. Ortega, and Philippine Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Wilfredo Tamayo.
Included in the 52-member delegation are five officers from the Presidential Communications Group, five personnel from the Office of the President, six from the Office of the Presidential Protocol, 14 from the Presidential Security Group, and nine from the Presidential Broadcast Staff/Radio Television Malacañang.
Secretary Ramon Carandang of the Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning Office said Chinese leader Wen Jiabao is among those whom Aquino would have a one-on-one meeting with at the sidelines of the summit here from the 28th to the 30th of October.
“The President has a bilateral meeting with China,” Carandang told reporters. He said the schedule of the meeting with the Chinese Premier and its details would be announced later along with the schedule of the one-on-one meetings with the leaders of Indonesia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, Brunei, Russia, and Australia.
Carandang also said there will be an ASEAN-China meeting during the summit.
Expected to be discussed by Aquino and Hu is the tragic hostage-taking incident in Manila last August where eight Hong Kong tourists were killed.
Source: Manila Bulletin
The banking industry is one of the quiet sectors in the Philippines today. Banks have merged and/or closed but for the China Bank San Juan branch, this doesn’t seem to be a concern for now.
With continuing trust gained from new/old depositors and financial-aid seekers, the bank continues to grow strong thanks to its masterful foundation.
Today, the branch celebrates its 20th year of existence.
The China Bank San Juan branch originally opened in October 19, 1990 under the tutelage of Clara C. Sy, rendering financial services as you would find from standard banking institutions.
Ms. Sy has since been promoted as the area head of South Luzon 3 for China Banking Corporation, leaving the branch under the watchful eyes of 40 year old pioneer, Joel Uy. He has been with the branch for almost 18 years.
Mr. Joel Kenward Y. Uy has since been promoted as the branch manager for China Bank San Juan. He has thus far continued to gain the trust and confidence of old and new depositors, a factor which is critical for people who want to know that their money and investments are in good hands.
To celebrate their 20th year in the business, a new branch awaits customers as they have officially opened a newly built structure beside the branch that had served their depositors for the past 20 years.
From the looks of it, the new branch will be good for another 20 years or so. And basing it from their track record, Mr. Joel Uy and the bank’s staff are ready for the challenges that await them.
The future looks fulfilling for the China Bank San Juan branch and with a long trusted pioneer at the helm together with reliable and trustworthy employees to back it up, the branch can only look forward to a more promising tomorrow as they continue to render quality financial aid and services.
MANILA, Philippines — On September 24, 2010, Friday, the country woke up and got a dose of the good news accompanied by photos in vivid, three-dimensional colors.
From that day on, the Manila Bulletin, the nation’s leading newspaper, has fully embraced the advancing media technology.
The 3-D newspaper technology, which has already started in other parts of the globe, is now in the Philippines now a part of history.
“We’re trailblazing for the industry,” said Bulletin managing editor Fil C. Sionil.
The 3D issue, which was featured in television morning shows “Umagang Kay Ganda” of ABS-CBN, “Mornings at ANC” of ABS-CBN News Channel and radio programs of DZBB and DZMM, received positive reactions from readers around Metro Manila, where the limited 3D issue was circulated.
The Manila Bulletin, started in black in white in 1900 and went full color in mid-90s, has vowed to continue to innovate and adopt to the changing world of technology to serve the nation better to be truly the exponent of the Philippine progress. (Art Samaniego)
Looking for a cozy place where you can drink your favorite wine while eating your sumptious steak? 145° Fahrenheit is the best place to dine in.
They serve excellent wine for less than 550 pesos compared to other restos that ranges to 800-1000 pesos. 145° Fahrenheit offers American and French Cuisine. It’s a major “two thumbs up” for your guests who want’s an american style of food. This resto offers the best appetizers and salad. Their best salad is called 145 house salad, it has special chicken, grapes and Raspberry Vin. They also have the famous chicken ceasar salad, calamari frites and onion rings. They also offer US Wagyu carppacio, and a baked new zealand mussel, a must try!
Now for their main dish, they serve the certified Black Angus or USDA Prime Steaks, American Wagyu Beef, New Zealand Lamb, Chicken and Fish. What more can you ask for? You have to try their manhattan cut. It has this juicy beefy taste that you can’t wait for your next bite.
Now for the ambience, it has very comfortable athmosphere. You can actually have your meeting, birthday celebration or any special special occasions here at 145° Fahrenheit. (They can accomodate up to 70 people) they are open Daily:
Lunch: 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Dinner: 6:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.
Even if though this steakhouse very fancy, you can wear your casual or semi-casual clothes. You don’t have to worry if you’re over dressed or something because the place is really nice. If you have no cash in your pocket, you can use your VISA and Master Card.You can find 145° Fahrenheit at IL Terrazzo Mall
35 Tomas Morato Ave. cor. Scout Madriñan St. Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines
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It was my bestfriend’s birthday and I just had to go out and celebrate it with her. It took us like hours before we had decided where to eat. There are tons of restaurants that you can see at the FORT. The place is great because of the nice ambience, you’d feel safe to walk around with your friends and family. You don’t have to spend too much money for your bonding. You just have to be wise and look for a nice place that you can dine in without spending too much.
Here are the restaurants that we tried out:
Healthy Kitchen— This has to be one of my top favorite restaurants in Bonifacio High Street. They serve the most sumptuous dishes that not only caters to your taste buds but to your entire body since it’s absolutely healthy. You would love the whole look and feel of the restaurant since it has such a homey touch to it. I would definitely not mind eating at this place everyday.
KABISERA Restaurant– If you think that gourmet dishes are only for the ones who can afford it, when you go dine at Kabisera restaurant you are in for the shock of your life. They have an amazing variety of Filipino food that are cooked excellently but with an unbelievably low price. I took my friends here last weekend and we enjoyed the unique blend of oriental dishes, and best of all, we didnt even have to spend much for it.
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I was really low on budget but I wanted to treat some of my friends for dinner. They’re not into expensive restaurants, so I suggested we go to Jollibee or Mcdonald’s instead. But they’re just not in the mood for burger, fries and coke. So I thought of Nato’s Inasal. All filipino food and it’s like eating nanay’s lutong bahay.
It’s just few blocks away from my house, so we decided to ride the jeepney. All of us were craving for sinigang, sisig and of course chicken inasal. The all time favorite food of Filipinos. The serving is good for 2-3 people. We were all starving to death so finally we placed our order. We were surprised when the waiter approached us and said that we’ll get free rice if we decided to eat using our hands. Of course we didn’t have second thoughts because we all want free rice! So finally we got what we ordered, and MAN! their sinigang was so good I came to a point that I don’t want to share it, haha, just kidding. It was really good, though I was hoping for more veggies. Their Chicken Sisig is also good but I think the serving is good for 1 person. It’s not that salty and I guess it’s also healthy because its chicken! I also love Nato’s chicken Inasal. It’s not as good as Bacolod’s chicken Inasal (nothing could beat that!) But if you’re in a tight budget and want an affordable place to dine in, Try Nato’s Inasal, located at Kalayaan Quezon City.
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