|
PRESIDENT Arroyo on Monday night cited “powerful
economic complementarities” that can build a strategic
partnership between Singapore and the
Philippines—investments from the city state and manpower
from
Manila.
The
President made the statement in her remarks at a state
dinner hosted by Singapore President S.R. Nathan at the
Istana, his official residence, where she also noted the
return of the Philippines in the radar screen of
Singaporean investors.
Mrs.
Arroyo said the Philippines has so far provided
Singapore with 13,000 Filipino information technology
(IT) professionals, 7,000 nurses and health-care
workers, 6,000 engineers and 5,000 architects.
She
noted that “as an investment destination, we are glad to
be back in Singapore’s radar screen. Singapore
businesses have growing investments in Philippine BPO
facilities.”
Mrs.
Arroyo also said that Singaporean firms like Ascendas
Net Quad and Ascott have property investments in the
Philippines, and she is looking forward to more
Singaporeans investing in tourism and welcomed the
growing budget-airline links between the two countries
like Cebu Pacific, Jet Star and Tiger Airways.
A Palace
press statement said that at her meeting with Singapore
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Monday, “both agreed
to start new air talks in order to increase travel”
between their countries but did not elaborate.
The
President left for a one-day state visit to Equatorial
Guinea in Western Africa early Tuesday, and is expected
to be back in
Manila on Wednesday. |
