PGMA arrives in Washington, receives rousing welcome
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WASHINGTON DC – President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo arrived here late Wednesday (8:30 a.m. Thursday,
Manila Time) on the first leg of her eight-day working visit to the United States aimed at enhancing friendly, as
well as economic, trade and bilateral agreement between the two countries.
The President, who deplaned from the Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland, was accompanied by First
Gentleman Atty. Jose Miguel Arroyo, a lean delegation of legislators and a number of Cabinet members that
included Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita, Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo, Agriculture Secretary
Arthur Yap, Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro, and Press Secretary Cerge Remonde,
From the airport, the President was immediately whisked to the Willard Intercontinental Hotel here where she
is billeted.
Upon her arrival at the Willard Intercontinental Hotel, she was warmly welcomed by the hotel’s general
manager James Ryan, embassy officials and the officers and members of the Filipino community.
The President is in Washington as the first Southeast Asian leader invited by the Obama administration to visit
the White House.
The President’s visit to the White House will be the fourth since she assumed office eight years ago. Her first
visit was in November 2001 following the terrorist attack in New York City. In May 2003, she made a state visit
to Washington DC followed by another last year when she was invited by then US President George W. Bush.
Aside from Washington, the President will also visit New York, Chicago and Guam.
Later in the evening, the President will address the officers and members of the overseas Filipino workers
group called FIL-USA during a dinner meeting at the hotel’s Willard Ballroom.
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Five RP officials to join PGMA in Obama meeting
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Five Philippine government officials are expected to join President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in her meeting
with United States President Barack Obama.
In a phone patch from Washington, Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Lorelie Fajardo identified Philippine
Ambassador to the US Willy Gaa, Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo, Senator Miriam Defensor-
Santiago, House Speaker Prospero Nograles and Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita as the five government
officials joining the official meeting of the two heads of states.
Fajardo, who is in the United States with the Presidential delegation, said the agenda of the discussion
between President Arroyo and President Obama will focus on significant issues such as “peace and security,
cooperation between the Philippines and the United States on the global economic crisis.”
President Arroyo is expected to advance the interest of the country and ensure that the relationship between
the Philippines and the United States will be enhanced, she said.
Fajardo said that President Arroyo was well-received by the members of the Filipino community in Washington
who flocked to see and greet the Chief Executive.
In her speech before members of the Fil-USA group, President Arroyo, according to Fajardo thanked the
Filipinos in the United States for their remittances, the biggest single factor that cushioned the country’s
economy the impact of global economic crisis.
President Arroyo, according to Fajardo, also echoed her state-of-the-nation-address (SONA) in her speech
before the Filipino-American community, reporting her programs and projects to improve the social and
economic status of the Filipinos.
Fajardo said the President is scheduled to meet tomorrow with some US congressmen and senators before
meeting with President Obama.
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PGMA hails FILUSA for unifying OFWs
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WASHINGTON DC – President Gloria Macaagal-Arroyo today lauded the officers and members of the Filipinos
International of the United States or FILUSA for their efforts in helping unify the Filipino community in the United
States and for their efforts in projecting the good news about the Philippines.
“Sa hirap at ginhawa ay pinatatatag ninyo ang ating overseas Filipinos, kaya nagpapasalamat ako sa inyo,”
the Chief Executive, who is here upon the invitation of the Obama administration, said in her speech before the
OFWs at the Willard Intercontinental Hotel.
The President also reiterated her appreciation for the billions of pesos they have been remitting to their
homeland that help keep the country’s economic development and programs moving.
She told them that the biggest remittance of the OFWs come from those working in North America.
But while they are doing well in their respective work abroad, the President told them that her administration is
also doing all its best to create good paying jobs at home “so that overseas work will just be a career choice
and not the only option for a hardworking Filipino.”
During her speech, the President reiterated the other issues contained in her State of the Nation Address
(SONA) last July 27 at the Batasang Pambansa.
“My term does not end until next year. And until then with your support, I will fight for the ordinary Filipino. There
is much to do as head of state up to the very last day. And I trust that the Filipino American community, the
FILUSA, the different organizations here, will continue to support and have faith in the Philippines,” she
declared.
“Thank you for your support for peace and progress in the Philippines, the President said.
During the program, the President received a Resolution of Gratitude from the World War II veterans
represented by World War II widow, Sostones Rivera, Purita Acosta and Senn Fontanilla representing the sons
and daughters of World War II veterans “for her constant advocacy to secure recognition of service and grant of
benefits from the U.S. government for and on behalf of the World War II veterans.”
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PGMA’s meeting with Obama – a pivotal time for US-Asia relations
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WASHINGTON DC – President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo said today that her meeting with President Barack
Obama at the White House here “comes at a pivotal time for US relations in Asia.”
Speaking before the officers and members of the Filipinos International of the United States of America
(FILUSA), the Chief Executive said she’s very pleased to have accepted the invitation of President Obama for
her to be the “first leader from our region to meet with him at the White House.”
“We’re very hopeful that the Obama administration will put America on the radar screen in Asia,” the President
stressed.
The President noted that the visit to the region by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton where she met with Foreign
Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo in Thailand, together with the early outreach by President Obama “sent strong
signals that the United States is committed to more robust engagements with the region.”
“The fact that President Obama sought out the Philippines for this first opportunity is a testament to the strong
and deep ties between our two nations,” the President also said.
“Kaya maganda iyong mga placard ninyo: Mabuhay RP-US relations,” the President said referring to the
wordings in the placards hanging on the walls during the dinner meeting.
The President pointed out that her “expectations for this trip are straightforward: to meet the new US president
who is our strong friend and ally and advance the interest of the Philippines.”
She noted that the United States is essential to the country’s economic, diplomatic and national security.
The President stressed that high on the agenda during her meeting with President Obama will be peace and
security issues, including ways to continue strengthen regional cooperation and anti-terrorism.
“We will also discuss the global economic crisis that have swept the world, and what we can do to mitigate its
impact on the poor especially in Asia and the Philippines,” she said.
Despite the onslaught of the financial global crisis last year, the President said “the country weathered a
succession of global crisis in fuel, in food, then in finance…. But never losing focus and with economic
fundamentals intact.”
She also made mention that Moody’s upgraded the country’s credit rating in the middle of the global recession
citing the resilience of the economy.
“Therefore, I could say that the state of our nation is a strong economy,” the President said.
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