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Palace spends P123 million on GMA’s five-country tour

By Riza Recio

02/12/2009

President Arroyo and her 61-member delegation spent some P123 million during their recently concluded one-week official visit to five countries in the regions of Europe, Middle East and the United States.

Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said the various economic benefits to be derived from the President’s trip outweighed the costs.

Saudi Arabia committed some $200 million in agriculture assistance. Bahrain pledged $300 million within the first quarter with possible benefits for the agriculture and fisheries sectors.

Earlier, Malacanang reported that President Arroyo and His Highness Prime Minister Shaikh Khalifa Salman Al Khalifa signed memorandum of understanding on agricultural and fisheries cooperation between the Philippines and the Kingdom of Bahrain.

The textile groups in the US also pledged to absorb up to $1.2 billion in garments exports from the Philippines, Ermita added.

The President did not take the 61-member delegation with her to Washington DC when she attended the National Prayer Breakfast, he said.

Ermita said that until this time, the Philippine government is still hoping that US State Secretary Hillary Clinton, with whom the President had the opportunity to discuss economic and security issues during her visit in Washington, will have time to visit the Philippines during her first official visit to Asia, including China and Indonesia.

Ermita said that although Clinton had a well-prepared schedule ahead of her official visit to Asia, “it is our wish that she will find time to visit our country.”

President Arroyo arrived on Sunday after a one-week, five-country trip to pursue her campaign for and behalf of the world’s poor and emerging economies, overseas Filipino workers, World War II Filipino veterans, and promote the Philippines as the best alternative investment site in the region.

The President left for Davos last Jan. 30 and arrived last Sunday from Washington DC, the last leg of her overseas trip after attending the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland; and brief visits to Milan, Italy; Riyadh in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain.

At Davos, the President also met with the political and business leaders of several countries.

She also met with members of the Filipino community in the countries that she visited and assured them of her government’s efforts to address their plight in the midst of the global economic crisis.