Aquino off Wednesday for Canada state visit

President Benigno Aquino III. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO/RAFFY LERMA

MANILA, Philippines–President Aquino is expected to leave Wednesday for a three-day state visit to Canada that, Malacañang said, aims to further strengthen the economic and diplomatic ties between the two countries.

Several Cabinet members will be joining Aquino when he leaves at 8 Wednesday morning via PR 001, a Philippine Airlines chartered flight.

But before heading for Canada, President Aquino will swing by Chicago, Illinois, for a one-day working visit where he is expected to pitch the Philippines as a prime investment area, and to touch base with some 140,000 Filipinos living in the area.

The President will arrive at the Windy City on Wednesday afternoon (Thursday morning in Manila) and will later hold roundtable discussions with executives from the US Chamber of Commerce and the US-Asean Business Council at the JW Marriott Hotel.

“Some Fortune 500 companies are based in the Midwest. They could be invited to take a look at the Philippines,” Philippine Consul Ricarte Abejuela III said on the phone in Chicago. “Chicago is a major city in the Midwest; it’s a center for business and industry. It will be beneficial for the President to come here.”

Eagerly awaited

The President is also being eagerly awaited by Filipinos, most of whom work as doctors, lawyers, nurses, scientists, engineers, accountants and federal and state employees in Illinois.

On Wednesday night, the President will meet with at least 500 Filipinos also at the JW Marriott Hotel, bringing along his friend, singer Noel Cabangon, to entertain them.

“Everybody is excited [about] this visit, as evidenced by the number of people attending despite the short notice,” Abejuela said.

In the city, President Aquino will meet potential investors and other business groups, as well as leaders and members of Filipino communities, according to Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr.

After an overnight stay in Chicago, Aquino and his lean delegation will fly to Canada on Thursday for a state visit.

First stop will be Ottawa, where the President will make a courtesy call on Governor General David Johnston at the latter’s official residence in Rideau Hall on Thursday afternoon, and will be feted at a state dinner.

Canadian PM

On Friday morning, Aquino will motor to Parliament Hill, where he will be welcomed by Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper and officials of the Senate and House of Commons.

After a joint press conference with Harper, the President will be given a tour of the Library of Parliament before he sits down for a working lunch with the prime minister.

In the afternoon, Aquino and his delegation will fly to Toronto for a meeting with CEOs from the Asia-Pacific Foundation of Canada at the Fairmont Royal York Hotel.

Later in the evening, Harper will host a reception for President Aquino and the Filipino community.

On Saturday, the President and his delegation will fly to Vancouver, where he will meet with British Columbia Premier Christy Clark, CEOs of the Aquilini Investment Group and MacDonald Detwiler and Associates, as well as representatives of the Filipino community.

“In each stop, there will be a business activity: A roundtable discussion and several one-on-one meetings intended to bring in jobs,” Foreign Assistant Secretary Maria Andrelita Austria told reporters in Malacañang on Wednesday.

The President and his party will fly back to Manila on Saturday evening.

Aquino’s state visit to Canada was in response to an invitation from Harper, who visited the Philippines in November 2012.

Priority emerging market

Describing the Philippines as a priority emerging market and a country of focus, Canada invited President Aquino to make the state visit to strengthen trade relations between the two countries, Palace officials said.

The Canadian official said he looked forward to meeting with Aquino to “further strengthen the bonds between our two countries, including in the areas of trade, investment, development and security, benefiting the citizens of both nations.”

Austria said the two countries “are working on several agreements, the biggest of which has something to do with operationalizing our designation as a country of focus, which means [we] will receive 90 percent of Canada’s development assistance.”

“The good thing about Canada’s development aid is they’re focused on things like women empowerment and microenterprise, and sustainable entrepreneurship at the micro level. So that’s something in consonance with the President’s inclusive growth goal,” she added.

The President and the Canadian prime minister “will witness the signing of several agreements directed at improving people-to-people relations between the two countries, as well as energize their ties on labor cooperation, development assistance and infrastructure development,” Coloma said.

China issue

There are about 700,000 Filipinos living and working in Canada, the Philippines’ 21st-biggest trading partner and sixth-biggest source of foreign tourists,” the Palace communication official said.

Austria last week said regional developments, including the growing tensions in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea), will be part of the discussions between the President and Harper.