South Korean leader arrives to boost ties

FRIENDLY VISIT South Korean President Lee Myung-bak, center, is escorted by Philippine Air Force Major General Lorenzo Sanchez as they review the troops upon Lee's arrival Sunday Nov. 20, 2011, at Manila's International Airport. Lee is on a three-day state visit in the country. AP PHOTO/PAT ROQUE

South Korean President Lee Myung-bak is in Manila for a three-day state visit.

Lee, here upon the invitation of President Benigno Aquino III, arrived at around 1:20 p.m. Sunday at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport aboard a South Korean government Boeing 747 jet from Seoul.

The South Korean leader was welcomed by Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario, Energy Secretary Jose Rene Almendras, Social Welfare Secretary Corazon Soliman, Air Force chief Lieutenant General Oscar Rabena, Naia General Manager Jose Angel Honrado, and Philippine Ambassador to Seoul Luis Cruz, among others.

Before boarding a black Audi service car (with plate No. 1 license plate), Lee waved at newsmen covering his arrival.

On Monday morning, Mr. Aquino will formally welcome Lee at ceremonies at the Malacañang grounds.

An “expanded bilateral meeting” headed by the two leaders will take place shortly, followed by the signing of bilateral agreements between Manila and Seoul.

Later, the two leaders are scheduled to attend a Korea-Philippines business forum at the Manila Hotel organized by the Philippine and Korean chambers of commerce and industry.

At 7 p.m., the President will host a state dinner at the Palace in honor of his South Korean counterpart.

Earlier, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Lee would “meet with President Aquino to discuss ways to further enhance the rapidly growing relations between the two countries.”

Welfare of OFWs

“Recent developments and the future direction of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations-Republic of Korea relations will also be discussed,” the DFA said in a statement.

The two heads of state will also talk about the “welfare of (over 80,000) overseas Filipino workers” based in South Korea, according to DFA insiders.

There are also an increasing number of Korean migrants to the Philippines.

Lee is also scheduled to take part in a town hall meeting at Ateneo de Manila University, where he will hold a dialogue with students and faculty of the Quezon City-based tertiary institution.

Lee will also visit a war memorial.

The DFA noted that the Republic of Korea has consistently been the top source of foreign tourists to the Philippines.

“Last year, the figure reached 740,000, accounting for 21 percent of all foreign tourists that visited the country,” said the foreign office.

According to the DFA, Lee’s visit “comes at an important point in the 62-year history of Philippine-South Korean bilateral relations,” which were formally established on March 3, 1949.

Manila’s and Seoul’s friendship was reinforced by the deployment (during the Korean War in the early 1950s) of the Philippine Expeditionary Forces to Korea, which joined the United States-led 16-nation coalition in defending the Republic of Korea against the communist Democratic People’s Republic of Korea,” or North Korea, it added.

Aid commitment

In July, South Korea increased its official development aid commitment to the Philippines from $300 million to $500 million under its Economic Development Cooperation Fund (EDCF) framework arrangement.

Priority sectors for EDCF funding include water, agriculture and government projects supporting “green growth,” said the National Economic and Development Authority.

Under the EDCF, Seoul will provide Manila with concessional loans for public-private partnership projects aimed at increasing business growth and attracting foreign investors.

“This development will serve as a springboard for higher investments in the country, as the government strives to achieve growth that is inclusive and sustained,” Neda Director General Cayetano Paderanga Jr. earlier said in a statement.

EDCF funding “will also address the short supply of government resources, particularly its investment capacity and technological know-how,” Paderanga added.

Originally posted: 5:01 pm | Sunday, November 20th, 2011