President’s landmark visit to Russia ‘fruitful’, says Go


October 06, 2019
 
People's Journal
Rodrigo Duterte & Bong Go
President Duterte and Sen. Bong Go

SENATOR Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go said that President Rodrigo Duterte’s official visit to Russia has been fruitful so far, with the government’s campaign against terrorism earning praises from his Russian counterparts who, according to the senator, are also willing to support.

“Naging maayos naman ang pagbisita ng Pangulo. First day sa pagbisita sa Russia, nagpasalamat ang ating gobyerno. Nais din ng Pangulo na paigtingin pa ang ating relasyon sa bansang Russia, lalo na po (ang) laban sa terorismo. Alam niyo naman tuluy tuloy ang terorismo sa ating bansa. Very much willing na tumulong ang Russia,” said Go.
He added that Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated President Duterte in his fight against terrorism, saying, “Nag-congratulate naman si President Putin kay Pangulong Duterte sa laban natin kontra terorismo sa Pilipinas to lower level of terrorist threat. ‘Yun po ang unang unang nabanggit ni Presidente. Full support ang Russia sa ating bansa.”
With the security relations between the Philippines and Russia strengthened, Go said that he hopes this spills over to the economic sector through  groundbreaking business deals signed between Filipino and Russian companies which can generate economic opportunities for Filipinos.
“Umaasa po kami na maraming business opportunities ang maiuwi ng Pangulo para sa mas maraming trabaho para sa mga Pilipino sa bansa,” the senator said.
In the recent visit, Filipino business executives and their Russian counterparts signed several trade agreements worth US$12.6 million. The scope of these deals range from business cooperation, agricultural exports, electric power and importation.
These include five memorandums of understanding that would enforce cooperation on information exchange and collaboration on business development to promote trade and investment between the two countries, and supply local tuna to four companies to serve the Russian market.
Also included in the deals are two memorandums of intent that would explore the possibilities of cooperation in building nuclear power plants in the Philippines.
On Russia’s part of the deal, both countries signed a distributorship agreement for two Russian companies to sell watches and vehicles in the Philippines. A memorandum of agreement was also signed to promote, distribute and sell Russian technology in the Philippines.
The signings, which was done during the Philippines-Russia business forum in Moscow, were described as the beginning of stronger business ties between Russia and the Philippines.
Meanwhile, Go also said that he and the President will meet with the overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in Russia to check on their situation.
“Gusto rin pong bisitahin ng ating mahal na Pangulo ang ating mga kababayan dito sa Russia. Ako naman nais kong isulong ang Department of OFWs para sa ating mga kababayan para may tumututok sa kanilang mga pangangailangan,” Go said who earlier filed Senate Bill No. 202, or the “Department of Overseas Filipinos Act of 2019” last July to put government agencies dealing with the OFW concerns under one executive department.
Because services and information relative to the OFWs are scattered throughout several government offices, the proposed measure aims to streamline service delivery and promote better coordination among offices concerned with OFW affairs through a unified department solely focused on OFW concerns.
“Hindi nababayaran yung lungkot. Mahirap mapalayo sa pamilya. Pero kailangan nilang maghanapbuhay at kumita. Nais lang namin na mag-iwan ng ngiti kahit papaano sa kanila,” Go said about OFWs.
“Tutulong po tayo na maibsan nila ang kalungkutang ito sa pamamagitan ng pagbibigay ng dekalidad na serbisyo sa kanila,” he added.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

PCG: China’s bullying in West Philippine Sea undermines international law --- Ghio Ong - The Philippine Star

MANILA, Philippines — Letting China sustain its aggression in the West Philippine Sea would make other countries doubt the strength of international law currently being asserted by the Philippines, Commodore Jay Tarriela of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said. “Allowing China to blatantly disregard the established rules-based order threatens the very foundation that we all depend on,” he wrote in a post on X last Tuesday. He added, “If we permit this, countries worldwide may forget why this order was created in the first place. Nations could begin to doubt the significance of adhering to international law if powerful bullies can easily violate it.” Tarriela also said defiance of other countries to a rules-based order would result in the prevalence of cruelty. He wrote, “This could lead us back to a time when might makes right, undermining the global structures that keep human greed, savagery and barbarism in check. Such a scenario would not only invite challenges from aggressive ...
Read more

China ships maintain presence in key West Philippine Sea areas --- Michael Punongbayan - The Philippine Star

STAR / Michael Varcas MANILA, Philippines — While Chinese vessels in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) have decreased in number, they have maintained a presence in three key land features where naval and coast guard ships have intensified operations in the past seven days, according to the Philippine Navy. Latest monitoring by the Philippine Navy showed armed ships of the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) maintaining a menacing presence around the grounded BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin Shoal, Panatag Shoal and Escoda Shoal. According to the Philippine Navy, there are 17 Chinese military vessels and 28 China Coast Guard (CCG) boats spotted inside the country’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) between Sept. 23 and 30, or one vessel more than in the previous week Sept.17-23. Five of the warships were seen roaming around the vicinity of Escoda Shoal, along with 10 CCG vessels and 12 maritime militia vessels (MMVs). There are also two PLAN ships in Ayungin Shoal as well as 10 CCG boats and 12...
Read more

Social media seen as cause of rising intermarriages --- Helen Flores - The Philippine Star

MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO) sees social media as the main reason for the rising number of Filipinos marrying or becoming partners of foreign nationals. In 2022, the CFO recorded 6,854 marriages or partnerships with foreign nationals, a 40.1 percent increase from the 4,891 “intermarriages” recorded in 2021. “First of all, what we see in the increase in the marriage rate of Filipinos or Filipinos with foreign partners is because of social media, (that) is number one; matchings; letters, introduction of their friends,” CFO chairperson Romulo Arugay said at the Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon public briefing yesterday. Arugay said the agency has been registering a high number of intermarriages since 2007, but the figures went down during the COVID-19 pandemic. From over 6,500 Filipinos who married foreign nationals, only 600 are men, he said. Most of them are married to Americans, Japanese, Germans, Canadians and Australians, Arugay said. Arugay warned Fi...
Read more