When Arroyo meets Obama For the First Time
Finally Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and US President Barack Obama met on Thursday afternoon (early Friday morning in Manila time) at the White House. The meeting lasted for about 45 minutes and was held at the Oval Office.
Ms. Arroyo was accompanied by several people: Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita, Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago, House Speaker Prospero Nograles, presidential adviser on climate change Heherson Alvarez, Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo and Philippine Ambassador to the US Willy Gaa.
"We are proud to have 4 million persons of Filipino ancestry contributing to our country each and every day in all walks of life. The fact that we have Filipino veterans who have walked side by side with American soldiers on behalf of freedom, all those things that have strengthened the relations of our two countries," he said hailing the relationship between the two allies.
"I am very pleased that President Arroyo has made such good progress on dealing with counterterrorism issues. She has initiated a peace process in Mindanao that we think has the potential to bring peace and stability to a part of the Philippines that has been wracked by unrest for too long," as one of their primary topic which is the fight against terrorism.
"We are very grateful of the stong voice that the Philippines has provided in dealing with issues in Asia, ranging from the human rights violations that have too long existed in Burma, to the problems that we're seeing with respect to nuclear proliferation in North Korea," he added
"Although the Philippines is not the largest of countries, using a phrase in boxing, it punches above its weight in the international arena," Obama said regarding Manny Pacquiao.
"The US is essential to the economic, diplomatic, and national security of our country. We are very thankful for the US as an important ally in helping to professionalize our military, in making it more effective," Arroyo said
"Just as important, we are thankful to the US for being such a good ally... working on 'soft power', helping us to build bridges, roads, schools, not only in Mindanao but across the nation. And this assistance by the US has gone a long way in helping us achieve what we have been able to achieve in the peace process in Mindanao in the Southern Philippines and also in our fight against terrorism," she added
This is her 4th visit to the White House since she became President in January 2001. Her first visit was back in November 2001, following the terror attacks in the United States, and was received by then US President George W. Bush. She again visited the Bush White House in May 2003 in a state visit, and also in 2008, upon Bush's invitation. Imagine, her 4th visit and the bill they paid were from the taxpayers. It's okay if Mrs. Arroyo and few of the "important" people in her cabinet will join her on the trip, but bringing a minimum of 10 congressmen with their families is not a very good spending habit of the president.
Ms. Arroyo was accompanied by several people: Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita, Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago, House Speaker Prospero Nograles, presidential adviser on climate change Heherson Alvarez, Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo and Philippine Ambassador to the US Willy Gaa.
"We are proud to have 4 million persons of Filipino ancestry contributing to our country each and every day in all walks of life. The fact that we have Filipino veterans who have walked side by side with American soldiers on behalf of freedom, all those things that have strengthened the relations of our two countries," he said hailing the relationship between the two allies.
"I am very pleased that President Arroyo has made such good progress on dealing with counterterrorism issues. She has initiated a peace process in Mindanao that we think has the potential to bring peace and stability to a part of the Philippines that has been wracked by unrest for too long," as one of their primary topic which is the fight against terrorism.
"We are very grateful of the stong voice that the Philippines has provided in dealing with issues in Asia, ranging from the human rights violations that have too long existed in Burma, to the problems that we're seeing with respect to nuclear proliferation in North Korea," he added
"Although the Philippines is not the largest of countries, using a phrase in boxing, it punches above its weight in the international arena," Obama said regarding Manny Pacquiao.
"The US is essential to the economic, diplomatic, and national security of our country. We are very thankful for the US as an important ally in helping to professionalize our military, in making it more effective," Arroyo said
"Just as important, we are thankful to the US for being such a good ally... working on 'soft power', helping us to build bridges, roads, schools, not only in Mindanao but across the nation. And this assistance by the US has gone a long way in helping us achieve what we have been able to achieve in the peace process in Mindanao in the Southern Philippines and also in our fight against terrorism," she added
This is her 4th visit to the White House since she became President in January 2001. Her first visit was back in November 2001, following the terror attacks in the United States, and was received by then US President George W. Bush. She again visited the Bush White House in May 2003 in a state visit, and also in 2008, upon Bush's invitation. Imagine, her 4th visit and the bill they paid were from the taxpayers. It's okay if Mrs. Arroyo and few of the "important" people in her cabinet will join her on the trip, but bringing a minimum of 10 congressmen with their families is not a very good spending habit of the president.
Yeah, yeah big deal.
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