EUROPEAN Union (EU) representatives on Thursday highlighted opportunities for deeper trade and investment ties between the Philippines and the EU, in light of the country’s prospective admittance to an expanded tariff-reduction scheme, amid a continuing push for a free trade agreement.
MANILA, Philippines – The proposed “open skies” agreement between the European Union (EU) and the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) is expected to result in higher standards of safety and regulation as well as more reasonable fares for airline passengers. Transportation Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya said the ASEAN would have to first achieve a single aviation market as part of the ASEAN integration in 2015 before entering into a comprehensive air agreement with the EU. “It is still a long way. This is still in its infancy stages. Immediate goal is to first achieve an ASEAN single aviation market. This should be achieved as part of ASEAN 2015,” abaya said. According to Abaya, the proposed “open skies” between EU and ASEAN would translate to higher safety standards for airlines as well as cheaper fares for airline passengers. “This will allow competition, higher standards of safety and regulation and more access to flights and more reasonable fares for our people,” he said. Civil Aeronautics Board executive director Carmelo Arcilla said the EU has been helping the Asean achieve a single aviation market through a project called the Asean Air Transport Integration Project (AATIP) that serves a venue for exchange of info on practices within ASEAN and the EU and capacity building for aviation authorities of ASEAN. Business ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1 “The proposed EU-Asean comprehensive air transport agreement is a welcome development and is something to look forward to especially so, that the trend in Read More …
Miriam Coronel-Ferrer, seated left, chairperson of Philippine Government Peace Panel, and Mohagher Iqbal, seated right, chief negotiator for the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), sign documents with Malaysian facilitator Abdul Ghafar Tengku Mohamed, sitting center, as witness, during the 43rd GPH-MILF Exploratory Talks in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Saturday, Jan. 25, 2014. AP PHOTO/LAI SENG SIN MANILA, Philippines—The Philippines on Sunday won global praise as well as pledges of support to help in achieving lasting peace and economic development in Mindanao following the signing between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) of the last agreement needed before the conclusion of a final peace accord. Messages of congratulations poured in from nations and international organizations aiding the peace talks a day after the government and the MILF signed the normalization annex of the Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The United States, United Kingdom, Japan, Switzerland, European Union and United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon sent separate statements commending the negotiating panels of the two sides as well as President Aquino and MILF chair Murad Ebrahim for Saturday’s achievement. Ban, in a statement on the UN website, commended Aquino and Murad for their “vision and leadership,” and the peace panels for their “perseverance, commitment and courage” in the peace process. Ban also expressed his “sincere gratitude” to Malaysia for its role as negotiator. “The UN secretary expresses the readiness of the United Nations to accompany the final phase of the peace process and the implementation of Read More …
A house is engulfed by the storm surge brought about by powerful typhoon Haiyan that hit Legazpi city, Albay province Friday Nov.8, 2013. AP MANILA, Philippines – Citing the country’s strength and resilience at difficult times, the international community conveyed its sympathies to the Philippines on Saturday and expressed readiness to assist the country in recovering from what is likely to be staggering devastation caused by what has been described as one of the planet’s strongest typhoons of record. In a statement from Washington DC, US Secretary of State John Kerry cited the Filipino spirit in overcoming such challenges as he vowed to provide assistance to the Philippines. “Your spirit is strong,” said Kerry, conveying the American people’s “deepest condolences and solidarity” with the country. “Having so recently had my own visit to the Philippines prevented by another powerful storm, I know that these horrific acts of nature are a burden that you have wrestled with and courageously surmounted before,” said the official, who was forced to postpone a planned visit to Manila last month due to a storm. He said the US embassies in the Philippines and Palau were working with the government to see how the US could help. European Union Ambassador Guy Ledoux said the bloc would provide humanitarian aid to those affected by the typhoon as he expressed solidarity with the country. “The Philippines has been severely tested by nature on several occasions this year. As it confronts yet another natural calamity I express my solidarity Read More …
By Julliane Love de JesusINQUIRER.net 1:31 pm | Saturday, November 9th, 2013 European Union (EU) commissioner Andris Piebalgs. AFP PHOTO MANILA, Philippines—The European Commissioner for Development will visit the Philippines on Sunday to strengthen bilateral development cooperation between the European Union and the Philippines. European Union (EU) commissioner Andris Piebalgs said the highlight of his visit is the support to the Philippines “on its path to reduce poverty, strengthen the rule of law and support Mindanao’s Peace Process.” Aligned with the Philippines Development Plan for 2011 until 2016, EU development assistance delivers annually to the country about €640 million of grants “to combat poverty.” Piebalgs will meet Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Teresita, Quintos Deles, Socio-economic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balicasan, Energy Secretary Carlos Jericho Petilla and Department of Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Evan Garcia. Ahead of the visit, Commissioner Piebalgs said in a statement: “I am pleased to see rapid economic growth in the Philippines in past few years. However it is now important to deepen the economic reforms and make this growth more inclusive.” As part of Piebalgs’ itinerary, he will visit the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources of the Department of Agriculture, which is supported by the EU Trade Related Technical Assistance (TRTA) project. Aside from the EU development assistance budget, the EU TRTA, in a 12-year period, has granted €18 million aimed at improving laboratory facilities in the Philippines, enhance the control system for fisheries products, training of Fish Health Management and Quality Assurance on export Read More …
INQUIRER.net 8:11 pm | Friday, November 8th, 2013 EU Ambassador Guy Ledoux FILE PHOTO MANILA, Philippines—The European Union on Friday expressed solidarity with the Filipino people as it vowed to provide humanitarian assistance to families affected by Supertyphoon “Yolanda” (international name Haiyan). “The Philippines has been severely tested by nature on several occasions this year. As it confronts yet another natural calamity I express my solidarity with the Filipino people and my deep sympathy with those who have lost their loved ones or their livelihoods,” said EU Ambassador to the Philippines Guy Ledoux. “An EU humanitarian aid team is already in the Philippines to assess the impact of the typhoon and find out how the EU can be most helpful to those most urgent need,” he said. Yolanda smashed into coastal communities on the central island of Samar, about 600 kilometers southeast of Manila, before dawn on Friday with maximum sustained winds of about 315 kilometers an hour. The government said three people had been confirmed killed and another man was missing after he fell off a gangplank in the central port of Cebu. But the death toll was expected to rise, with authorities unable to immediately contact the worst affected areas and Yolanda only expected to leave the Philippines in the evening. Communication lines with Guiuan remained cut off in the afternoon, and the civil defense office said it was unable to give an assessment of the damage there. In Tacloban, a nearby city of more than 200,000 people, Read More …
By Dennis Atienza MaliwanagINQUIRER.net 2:53 pm | Thursday, October 31st, 2013 EU Ambassador Guy Ledoux FILE PHOTO MANILA, Philippines—The European Union is providing P148 million in humanitarian aid to about 350,000 people who lost their homes and livelihoods when a powerful earthquake ravaged Bohol island and nearby provinces in Central Visayas. “We have seen the destruction and suffering caused by the powerful earthquake,” EU ambassador to the Philippines Guy Ledoux said Thursday. “We stand by the people of the Philippines in this hour of need and this EU assistance reaffirms our commitment to immediately respond to the needs of the families affected by the disaster,” he said. The quake that struck underneath Bohol on October 15 left 222 people dead, 796 injured and eight missing mostly on the resort island, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said in its latest report Thursday. The aid, made available through the EU’s Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection department (ECHO), is intended for the emergency needs of the victims, such as shelter, water and sanitation, primary health care and the management of evacuations sites, the EU Delegation to the Philippine said. Ledoux said that two humanitarian aid experts—Torben Bruhn, regional health coordinator of ECHO based in Bangkok and Arlynn Aquino, humanitarian aid officer in the Philippines—went to the Bohol towns of Calape, Maribojoc and Loon shortly after the tremor jolted the island to determine the priority needs of the affected population. They noted that most of the houses collapsed and access to Read More …
TOKYO — Japan’s trade deficit ballooned to a fresh record for September as costs for imports of food and other necessities outstripped growth in exports. Preliminary customs data Monday show September’s deficit was 932 billion yen ($9.5 billion), the 15th consecutive monthly shortfall. The deficit for April-September rose to nearly 5 trillion yen ($51 billion), also a record for the first half of the fiscal year. Imports rose 16.5 percent in September from a year earlier to 6.90 trillion yen ($70.3 billion), while exports, helped by recoveries in key overseas markets such as the U.S. and EU, climbed 11.5 percent to 5.97 trillion yen ($60.9 billion). The yen has weakened by almost 25 percent against the U.S. dollar in the past year, making Japan’s exports cheaper overseas but also raising costs for imports. Imports of oil and gas accounted for nearly a third of the total but fell 1 percent as oil prices moderated. Imports of soybeans and other food and machinery surged at double-digit rates. Exports were boosted by rising shipments of vehicles, iron and steel, rubber, chemicals and machinery. Business ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1 The U.S. remained Japan’s largest export destination, at 1.11 trillion yen ($11.3 billion), while imports totaled 665 billion yen ($6.8 billion). The resulting 533 billion yen ($5.4 billion) surplus rose 25 percent from a year earlier. But Japan’s trade deficit with China jumped 87 percent to 620 billion yen ($6.3 billion) as imports of such items as cellphones and solar Read More …
LONDON — Another round of eurozone economic data Thursday provided compelling evidence that the currency bloc’s recovery from recession has become broad-based and self-sustaining. Particularly encouraging was the news that retail sales across the 17 European Union countries that use the euro rose by a forecast-busting 0.7 percent in August, according to Eurostat, the EU’s statistics office. That added to the previous month’s 0.5 percent increase — itself revised higher — and was above market expectations for a more modest 0.2 percent increase. Retail sales are an important barometer of economic confidence as they show that consumers are more willing to spend rather than save for a rainy day. The figures came on the heels of a closely-watched survey finding economic output across the eurozone rose in September at its fastest pace since the summer of 2011. Financial information company Markit said its composite purchasing managers index — a broad gauge of business activity across the manufacturing and services sectors — rose to a 27-month high of 52.2 points in September. The increase from 51.5 in August takes the index further above the 50 threshold that indicates expansion. Business ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1 Thursday’s surveys are the latest in a string of indicators to suggest the eurozone economic recovery is gathering momentum. Earlier this week, Eurostat figures showed the number of unemployed fell for the third consecutive month in August, though the rate held steady. In the second quarter, the eurozone economy grew by a quarterly Read More …
MANILA, Philippines (Xinhua) – The Philippines and Italy recently agreed to increase the number of air flights bound for both destinations after the European Union lifted its ban on Philippine air carriers last July, a senior official said here today. The development would be a boost to the country’s tourism sector and a relief to Filipinos working in Italy, said deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte. Under the new terms, the Philippines and Italy would have 14 flights per week. This number of flights is a tremendous increase from one flight a week since 1969. “This is one of the good news particularly to the OFWs (overseas Filipino workers). They do not need to make long trip, (because) they could now take direct flights,” Valte said in an interview over a state-run radio station on Saturday. At present, there are 170,000 Filipinos working or staying in Italy. Valte said the increased flights between the two countries will boost the Philippine tourism front, which has been posting continuous increase in the number of visitors entering the country. Business ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1 The Philippines’ Civil Aeronautics Board said earlier that the Philippines and Italy had agreed to increase seat entitlements between the two countries during the air service talks held in Rome on Sept. 5 and 6. The air service talks between the Philippines and Italy came after the European Union lifted its ban on Philippine air carriers, starting with Philippine Airlines, on July 10.