SEC. ANGELES: Magandang hapon. Kaninang umaga, tumungo kami kasama ng Pangulo sa Kalibata Heroes Cemetery at doon nag-alay ng bulaklak ang ating Pangulo tungo sa pagkikilala ng pagkabayani ng mga nakalibing doon. Karamihan ng nakalibing ay mga lumaban para sa kasarinlan ng bayan na ito.
Matapos noon, tumuloy kami sa residence – sa palasyo ng Pangulo ng Indonesia, si Joko Widodo at doon nakipag-usap ang ating Pangulo at malalim po ang kanilang usapan. Ni-report po ng ating Pangulo, as you know, na mabilis ‘yung kanilang usapan. Umaabot na po doon sa point of technicalities na ang nadi-discuss nila at maligaya siya doon sa naging outcome ng kanilang usapan.
May mga pinirmahan din na agreements ngayong araw na ito. Ang ating mga foreign minister ay pumirma sa Philippines-Indonesia Plan of Action for the period of 2022 to 2027. This comprehensive document that outlines bilateral programs and commitments for the next five years is on a wide range of areas of cooperation such as security, defense, border management, counter-terrorism, economics, energy, maritime, culture, education, labor, health, and consular matters, among others.
Meron din silang pinirmahan at naging saksi ang ating Pangulo at ang Pangulo ng Indonesia sa renewal of the Agreement on Cooperative Activities in the Field of Defense and Security.
Ito’y mag-enhance ng collaboration between our defense agencies, further promote the conduct of cooperative agreements – activities and reinforce the modernization of Philippine military. May bibilin din po tayo.
To further bolster economic engagement, pumirma din po sila ng Memorandum of Understanding for Cooperation on the Development and Promotion of Creative Economy.
This is a new area of cooperation cultivating a common creative economy that leverages on our respective strengths to foster innovation through knowledge, transfer in industries, including fashion, architecture, digital media, performing arts, music, theater, dance, and creative services.
Both presidents also signed ‘yung Memorandum of Understanding between ‘yung Pambansang Komisyon para sa Sining at Kultura and the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of Indonesia. Ito po ang tinatawag na cultural cooperation. This will enhance our cultural and people-to-people exchanges and promote better understanding and appreciation of each other’s remarkable culture.
‘Yun lang po. May mga katanungan po sila?
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS:
Q: Hi ma’am. Good afternoon. Ma’am, update lang po doon sa business roundtable?
SEC. ANGELES: Yes po, kakatapos lang po. Wala pa kasi ‘yung listahan ko. Gayunpaman, tinurn (turn) over ng ilang mga kompanya na mayroong agreements on several aspects sa negosyo – sa atin sa Pilipinas. Tinurn (turn) over po itong mga kasunduan na ito at may kopya na po ang ating Pangulo.
Sa kanyang response, maligaya siya dito sa outcome na ito at maligaya rin niyang ni-report ang productive na usapan nila ni President Widodo.
Q: Good afternoon, Secretary. Ma’am, how much po ‘yung investments na na-commit ng Indonesian business community for the Philippines?
SEC. ANGELES: Ma’am, wala pa po kaming final kasi marami po ito. Ang haba ng listahan. I-forward namin po sa inyo kapag nakuha na namin. It’s just being coursed through with DFA.
Q: Ma’am, can you just give us a ballpark figure of at least how many companies were involved?
SEC. ANGELES: I can’t give you a ballpark figure or the number companies. Ang haba kasi kanina.
Q: Last from my end lang. I understand that you mentioned yesterday that matters relating to Mary Jane Veloso will be deferred to the DFA. But can you at least confirm if the issue was brought up between the two presidents earlier?
SEC. ANGELES: No, I cannot confirm that. I’d like to clarify also ‘no. We don’t defer any decision making ha, to the DFA. It might be erroneously reported that the Department of Migrant Workers defers any decision making. They’re co-equal. But it is the DFA who must transmit that, both to the department secretaries and to the public.
The President wants us to speak with one voice and in matters of international relations or even in relation to the status of Filipinos working abroad and possibly in conflict with the law, then these matters, which may have an effect on our international relations, must be coursed first for its messaging with the DFA.
Q: Good afternoon, ma’am. Just describe to us ‘yung naging first State Visit ni President Marcos?
SEC. ANGELES: Productive. You want one word lang? Very productive. Two words na ‘yun, sorry. But yes. Baka sabihin niyo hindi ako marunong. Well, it was very productive, extremely so because the President did not expect that the talks between him and President Widodo would progress so rapidly in such a short time.
So plus the others of course – the other agreements, we had been preparing for them for quite some time. Those were not a surprise. What was surprising is the President’s willingness – President Widodo’s willingness to cooperate and also his statement regarding ASEAN and the reliance on ASEAN as a structure for which we can cooperate on matters like defense and so on.
Q: Follow-up lang po sa tanong ni Kat. Kahapon daw po ‘yung kaso po ni Mary Jane Veloso was brought up by Secretary Manalo with his Indonesian counterpart. May info po kayo?
SEC. ANGELES: On that, we can confirm because Secretary Manalo did announce that. But the talks continue. So that is the only thing that we can confirm right now.
Q: Pasensya na po. Pero may iba pa po kayang detalye regarding sa naging discussion nila?
SEC. ANGELES: Wala po eh. They’re very sensitive issues. As you know, it is a public matter that she has been convicted. So – but our DFA continues to look for solutions.
Q: Ma’am, regarding South China Sea po. Did President Marcos and President Widodo talked about it, anything about it?
SEC. ANGELES: Just the reliance on the ASEAN. For mutual defense and cooperation.
Q: So anything about South China Sea?
SEC. ANGELES: Inclusive po ‘yun.
Q: Anything in particular?
SEC. ANGELES: No particular. As you know, until we set out the details of such cooperation, then we will have to say that in principle they agree on certain matters such as this.
Q: Secretary, regarding doon sa business meeting na sabi niyo katatapos lang. Can you give us – ano po ‘yung nasabi ni President Marcos during the meeting? What was his message? What were the main themes of his statement to the investors?
SEC. ANGELES: Well, that he is happy for the interest that they are showing in the Philippine economy. As you know, this is part of his vision for economic recovery and he also happily reported to them the general outcome of his agreements or his talks with President Widodo.
Q: Was there an appeal from him to explore the Philippines as an investment destination during that event?
SEC. ANGELES: I think there was – he was more encouraging and encouraged already by the outcome that was presented to him.
Q: But there was no pitch for – explore the Philippines, something like that?
SEC. ANGELES: Okay, what will do is will send you a copy of his speech later on.
Q: Salamat.
Q: Hi, Sec. Good afternoon.
SEC. ANGELES: Hi po.
Q: Sec, you just said tapos na ‘yung business meeting. What else to expect po ngayong araw? I understand bukas ang lipad na ng Pangulo pa-Singapore.
SEC. ANGELES: Yes. Well, right now I think they’re just – he’ll be going to the mosque for a tour. The First Lady also has her own engagement with the First Lady of Indonesia.
So these are – those are the only remaining activities left.
Q: Sec, para makumpleto lang. So the mosque ‘no, what will be the engagement about, ‘yung sa kay First Lady? Para lang makumpleto ‘yung details.
SEC. ANGELES: I don’t discuss kasi the First Lady. As a matter of just a separation, she has her own press people, spokes (spokesperson) and so on. But she has an invitation from the First Lady of Indonesia on another engagement. We’ll release details after we have coursed them through her office.
Q: Okay. So there will be a mosque visit. Eh ‘yung sa Jakarta Cathedral po, tuloy po ‘yun Secretary?
SEC. ANGELES: [Nandun pa siya sa schedule?] Yes, it’s still on the schedule.
Q: Sec, on the investments, do we expect some of these at least to materialize in the very short term? Like perhaps within the year or early next year.
SEC. ANGELES: I can’t say it without the details ‘no. We will be giving a copy of the list of such investments. I understand that these are already agreements, signed agreements. And therefore, would have their own timetables.
We expect that they will bring benefits soon, which is why the President is optimistic. But what we can say right now is that these are already signed agreements and therefore should have a timetable made public very soon.
Q: Good evening, Secretary.
SEC. ANGELES: Yes po?
Q: Based on the reports, the level of discussion has already down to the level of technicalities. Are there specific task forces which are already – who are the point persons on these task forces?
SEC. ANGELES: What the President is saying is that they are already ready to form these task forces and they should be expected fairly soon. So wala pa tayong details on who’s going to be heading them or anything. But at this stage, to be talking about task forces, means that they have gone beyond a simple agreement on principle but are already agreeing on certain details.
Q: And for my final question ma’am, of the many agreements that were forged, what do the President or view is the most novel? Is this the cooperation on cultural…?
SEC. ANGELES: It is possibly quite the most novel. The defense agreement has already been in place. This is simply a renewal. The rest are for investments and so on. So yes, the mutual cooperation on cultural exchanges is quite novel.
When the President made his speech prior to departure, he said, we are not just neighbors, we are kin, which means we share commonalities in terms of our past, our backgrounds, even our interest in security in our region. So there’s so much there to explore.
Q: Ma’am, last.
SEC. ANGELES: Yes, ma’am?
Q: Ma’am, can you give us more details about President Widodo’s – regarding the continental shelf between the two countries?
SEC. ANGELES: I have not seen continental shelf.
Q: Ma’am, doon sa ano niya po, sa joint statement. He mentioned na… Let me pull a copy.
SEC. ANGELES: Yes please.
Q: Here. “We also commit to accelerate negotiations on the delimitation of continental shelf based on UNCLOS 1982.” That was the line.
Q: Can you please give us more details about what he is particularly asking for with regard to the delimitations doon sa continental shelf?
SEC. ANGELES: Well, he wasn’t specific in his own speech. That’s what we are privy to. What is the continental shelf? ‘Di ba in the UNCLOS it is enumerated about who gets the right to explore on the continental shelf and the other extensions, pursuant to the exclusive economic zone. So I assume that it’s going to be there since he was talking about the UNCLOS.
Q: So no details?
SEC. ANGELES: I think it was deliberate on that part so that we can explore options on that.
May I correct myself. The MOU on Cultural Cooperation, while it is novel, is actually a renewal but perhaps it has not had the kind of public interest. It has – it is generating more public interest now because it is the subject of the President’s first State Visit. But we have had an existent MOU before with Indonesia.
Q: Ma’am sorry. For confirmation lang po, so you’re confirming that Sec. Manalo discussed with his counterpart yesterday the Veloso case?
SEC. ANGELES: I can’t use the word discussed.
Q: Brought up po or raised?
SEC. ANGELES: By his own statement yes, he brought it up.
Maraming salamat po.
Q: Ma’am, sectors na lang or business na kausap ni Presidente?
SEC. ANGELES: Energy.
Q: Transport?
SEC. ANGELES: Yes.
Q: Infra?
SEC. ANGELES: Wala pa akong narinig na infra pero energy talaga ‘yung primary doon sa pinag-usapan. Ang dami ha.
Q: Food production?
SEC. ANGELES: Agriculture, meron.
Q: Ma’am, yung sa energy, coal?
SEC. ANGELES: Hindi siya specific. There are ano – there are some companies that are expressing interest in investing in energy, in the energy sector.
Q: Defense ma’am?
SEC. ANGELES: Sorry.
Q: Defense.
SEC. ANGELES: Meron din po sa defense. Pero nandun din ‘yun doon sa defense cooperation kasi.
Q: Energy, transport.
Q: Agri, defense.
SEC. ANGELES: Agri, definitely.
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