17 May 2017

PH, China ink agreements for further bilateral cooperation
BEIJING, CHINA—As part of its renewed friendship and deeper bilateral ties, President Rodrigo Duterte and Chinese President Xi Jin Ping witnessed the signing of three agreements following an expanded bilateral meeting between the two leaders.

The signing of the agreements was held at the Great Hall of the People on Monday, May 15.

The first to be signed was the Agreement on Economic and Technical Cooperation between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines and the Government of the People’s Republic of China.

It was signed by the Department of Finance (DOF) and the Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) of the People’s Republic of China.

The Agreement will serve as the basis for the grant to be provided by China to the Philippines, to implement the grant of RMB 500 million to conduct feasibility studies for major projects, construction of the drug abuse treatment and rehabilitation center and bridges crossing the Pasig River.

President Duterte and President Xi likewise witnessed the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Cooperation in Human Resource Development between the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) and the Ministry of Commerce of the People’s Republic of China.

The MOU will serve as the framework for the Philippines and China to strengthen cooperation in human resource development and promoting personnel exchanges.  

The MOU was signed between the National Economic and Development Authority as well as Ministry of Commerce of the People’s Republic of China.

The third agreement signed was the Memorandum of Understanding between the Department of Energy (DOE) and the National Energy Administration of the People’s Republic of China on Energy Cooperation.

According to the Department of Energy, the objective of the MOU on Energy Cooperation between the Philippines and China is aimed at strengthening cooperation between the two countries in the electric power, oil and natural gas sectors, and others, as mutually agreed.

The last MOU signed was the Memorandum of Understanding between the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) and China International Publishing Group of the People’s Republic of China on News and Publishing.

The MOU aims to serve as an implementing arrangement between the Philippines and China based on the Memorandum of Agreement between the Presidential Communications Operations Office of the Government of the Republic of the Philippines and the State Council Information Office of the People’s Republic of China on News and Information Exchange, Training and for Other Purposes, which was signed in Beijing on October 20, 2016. 

The objective of cooperation under the MOU is for both Parties to enhance their capabilities in the field of international communication and publishing, to undertake joint or individual activities and programs that help strengthen cooperation between news organizations under the Parties.

It was signed by the PCOO and the State Council Information Office.

President Duterte was in Beijing for his attendance to the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation.

Beijing, China was President Duterte’s last stop of his three-swing visit this month. Prior to his official visit to China, President Duterte was in Phnom Penh, Cambodia for his attendance to the World Economic Forum (WEF) on ASEAN. He also visited Hong Kong, where he met with the Filipino community. ###PND


From Presidential Spokesperson Ernie Abella – On Filipinos’ net personal optimism at +36
The March 2017 Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey indicated that there was no change in the respondents’ personal quality of life from last December 2016 survey which stood at +16. This means that life for Filipinos did not become worse in the two quarters the survey was done.

Net personal optimism was registered at +36 which could be attributed to respondents feeling the pinch of inflation last March following the increase in electricity cost due to the Malampaya maintenance shutdown and upward price adjustments in gasoline, diesel, kerosene and LPG.

Rest assured that government did everything to stabilize the power supply throughout the country and to manage our inflation rate within the government target.

The Administration remains focused in bringing prosperity to all, especially to the disadvantaged and marginalized sectors. We have therefore initiated several pro-poor undertakings, such as free medicine to indigents, higher pension for seniors, increased combat duty pay and combat incentive pay for soldiers and policemen, additional rice subsidy to our conditional cash transfer recipients, and the microfinancing system (or pondo sa pagbabago at pag-asenso), which we have already piloted in some areas.


From Presidential Spokesperson Ernie Abella – On the confirmation of Alan Peter Cayetano
Secretary Cayetano is a welcome addition to the President’s official family. As Chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations of the 17th Congress, he authored and co-sponsored the bill extending the validity of the Philippine passport to ten (10) years, and the resolutions concurring in the ratification/accession to the Articles of Agreement of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), the Philippine-Japan Agreement on Social Security, and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change.

Secretary Cayetano’s experience and legal acumen shall enrich the leadership of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and promote and enhance our international relations with the countries of the world.