Aquino, Widodo ink migrant workers protection accord

Indonesian President Joko Widodo, second right, and Philippine President Benigno Aquino III, right, stand together for a welcoming ceremony at Malacanang Palace grounds in Manila, Philippines Monday, Feb. 9, 2015. AP

MANILA, Philippines—President Benigno Aquino III officially welcomed Indonesian President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo on his first state visit to the country on Monday.

The meeting between the two Southeast Asian leaders in Malacanang witnessed the signing of four agreements, including one which protects the rights of migrant workers.

The following were the agreements signed by Aquino and Widodo:

• Joint Declaration between the Republic of the Philippines and the Republic of Indonesia on the Protection of Migrants and Migrant Workers;

• Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for Cooperation in the Field of Technical Vocational Education and Training between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines and the Government of Indonesia;

• Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Cooperation in Education, Research and Training between the National Defense College of the Philippines (NDCP) and the Lembaga Ketahanan Nasional of the Republic of Indonesia and;

• Memorandum of Understanding between the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency and Indonesia’s Badan Narkotika Nasional (BNN) on Cooperation in Combating Illicit Trafficking and Abuse of Narcotics, Psychotropic Substances and their Precursors.

The joint declaration on migrant workers “aims to strengthen cooperation between the two countries in the promotion and protection of the rights of migrants and migrant workers through such mechanisms as cooperation on the matter between their respective diplomatic and consular nations.”

Meanwhile, under the landmark agreement on combatting illegal drug trafficking, the Philippines and Indonesia governments “will establish and maintain channels of communication between their agencies to facilitate the rapid and timely exchange of relevant information.”

The agreement on fighting drug trafficking was signed amid the deferment of the execution of a Filipina in Indonesia who was convicted for carrying 2.6 kilograms of heroin from Malaysia in 2010.

Aside from signing the said agreements, Widodo and Aquino also tackled border issues and political and legal cooperation.

Widodo, who was elected to the presidency in October 2014, will end his three-day visit to the Philippines on Tuesday. The Philippines was the third state visited by Widodo after Malaysia and Brunei Darussalam.

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