PRESIDENT Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo returned past 4 p.m. Friday from her Hanoi, Vietnam trip where she attended the 16th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) Summit.
In her arrival statement at Ninoy Aquino International Airport, the President relayed several points they have discussed during the cut-short meeting.
"The Philippine delegation stressed the need to fortify our cooperation to ensure that our region remains resilient to any economic and financial crises. As testimony to Asean’s commitment to sustain our region’s recovery, we adopted the Leader’s Statement on Sustained Recovery and Development," she said.
"We affirmed our determination to enhance regional financial stability through the Philippine-initiated Chiang-Mai Initiative Multilateralisation, the Credit Guarantee Investment Facility, and the ongoing enhancement of the Asean Surveillance Office," she added.
The delegation of the President also stressed the need to develop by October 2010 the Master Plan on Asean Connectivity through regional infrastructure and ICT connectivity.
Arroyo cited contribution to achieving the goals of freer flow of goods and services among Asean countries through the following: Signing of the Asean Memorandum of Understanding on Rice between Thailand and the Philippines; Signing of Amendment on the Asean Agreement in Harmonization of Tariff Nomenclature; and Ratification of six protocols on air services.
In relation to climate change, she said they have adopted Asean Leaders’ Statement on Joint Response to Climate Change.
"This brings to the fore the vulnerability of the Southeast Asian region to climate change and the need for strong cooperation on adaptation and mitigation efforts," said Arroyo.
Another concern of the summit was "cultural cooperation."
Arroyo said the Philippines will be joined by Vietnam to prepare a framework of projecting an Asean cultural identity.
The Philippines was recently inaugurated as the first Asean Culture Capital for two years, 2010-2011, linking our wealth of cultural diversity with the dynamism of cultures of member states to help forge a strong Asean regional identity, highlighting the promotion of creative industries, heritage conservation, fusion of social content with artistic excellence and providing cultural care-giving to vulnerable groups for capacity and confidence building, effective communications about one caring sharing community.
Mix-up on arrival schedule
A confusion of text flooded the media Thursday night in relation to the arrival of President Arroyo from Hanoi, Vietnam.
Deputy Presidential spokesperson Gary Olivar confirmed around 4:30 p.m. Thursday that the President was cutting short her supposed to be two day conference among heads of states in Vietnam.
The President left for Hanoi together with her lean delegation at 10:30 a.m. Thursday.
Olivar, however, said he did not know the reason of the President’s sudden arrival.
He stated: "No official reason given. Perhaps the substantive agenda was concluded early, allowing the President to rejoin her husband earlier too."
Rumors circulated that the reason for the urgent arrival of the President was because First Gentleman Jose Miguel "Mike" Arroyo was brought back to the hospital.
But this was immediately denied by Olivar through a text message at 11:17 p.m. Thursday.
The message read, "There is no truth to any adverse rumors about the first gentleman's health. The President is still on schedule on her Vietnam trip and is expected back home tomorrow Friday as scheduled."
The President’s husband was just released from the hospital last Wednesday after almost two weeks recovery from a heart illness.
In an advisory from the Malacanang during the wee hours of Friday, it said that the 11 p.m. arrival of the President was moved to 2 a.m. but was again canceled.
The Palace issued another advisory at 10:18 a.m. Friday, saying that the President and her delegation will be arriving at 4 p.m. Friday, which is still three hours earlier than scheduled arrival of the President.
In her weekly press briefing, Deputy Presidential spokesperson Charito Planas explained that the knot in the President’s schedule was caused by the cancellation of the Asean Summit.
"The head of Thailand did not make it to the conference because of the turmoil happening in their country. Since they were incomplete, they decided not to proceed with the conference," Planas said. (Jill Beltran/Sunnex)