Romualdez lauds Portugal envoy’s decision to help PH fight ASF

House Speaker Martin Romualdez | PHOTO: Official website of the House of Representatives / congress.gov.ph

MANILA, Philippines — House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez has lauded the decision of the Portuguese ambassador to help the country fight African Swine Fever (ASF), saying that it would be a big boost to the economy.

Romualdez said in a statement on Wednesday that Portuguese non-resident Ambassador to the Philippines Maria Joào Falcào Poppe Lopes Cardoso made the offer to help the country fight ASF when she paid the House leader a courtesy visit at the Manila Golf and Country Club.

Aside from helping in the fight against ASF, Romualdez said the Portuguese envoy is also opening doors to more Filipino workers — with the Speaker vowing to endorse Portugal’s offer of assistance and measures to expand bilateral trade and cooperation, particularly in technology and defense, to the executive branch.

“These propositions are of great mutual interest to both countries,” Romualdez said.

“Our President is the foremost advocate of utilizing technology, and he is sincerely welcoming foreign investors. Besides, it makes a lot of sense for your companies to locate here, being among the fastest-growing economies in the world,” he added.

Romualdez’ office said Cardoso declared that a company in Portugal is “willing to make a donation of expertise and to travel to the Philippines to support eradicating swine flu.”

This would be important to the Philippines as the country has struggled in coping with ASF’s detrimental effects on the country’s hog-raising industry and its attempts to export pork products.

READ: Swine fever detected in 5 more areas in Cebu 

Cardoso also said that Portugal has an extensive expertise on ASF, having eradicated the disease entirely.  Ramon Garcia, Jr., Portugal’s honorary consul in Manila, meanwhile said that an organization of pork producers in Portugal is willing to send two experts to train officers of the Bureau of Animal Industry regarding combatting ASF.

Aside from these, Cardoso also said that Filipinos are welcome to work in Portugal because of their English language expertise.  There are Portuguese firms also interested in doing business in the Philippines.

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JPV