Arroyo to receive 320 Fil-Ams, Fil-Canadians Monday

MANILA, Philippines - President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo will receive on some 320 Filipino-Americans and Filipino-Canadians from the United States and Canada who shall participate in the 4th Annual Ambassadors, Consuls General and Tourism Directors Tour (ACGTDT) of the Philippines. A Malacañang statement said the delegates, who arrived in Manila Saturday morning, will stay in the country until Tuesday. This year's delegates will come from Washington DC (21 participants), Ottawa (24), Agana (14), Atlanta (10), Chicago (42), Edmonton (20), Honolulu (58), Los Angeles (34), New York (55), San Francisco (36), Toronto (7), Vancouver (10) and Winnipeg (13). The delegates' four-day itinerary will include a tour of Intramuros Walled City, and famous world-class tourist spots like Corregidor, Pagsanjan Falls, Villa Escudero, Aguinaldo Shrine in Kawit, Cavite; Tagaytay City and Taal Volcano in Batangas. The group will also have a round of golf at the exclusive Tagaytay Midland Golf Course. Started in 2005, this joint project of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), Department of Tourism (DOT), and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has attracted hundreds of Filipinos living in the United States and Canada. Renamed ACGTDT from Ambassadors, Consuls General Tour (ACGT) in 2007, this joint project of the DFA, DOT and DTI aims: * To provide an opportunity for Filipino-Americans and Fil-Canadians and their friends to visit the Philippines and contribute to the national economy in terms of foreign exchange generation and job creation; * To instill a stronger sense of nationalism and love of country among participants, especially the youth, to discover their roots and appreciate the beauty of the Philippines and the hospitality of its people; and * To motivate Filipino-Americans and their friends to become Philippine champions in the areas of tourism, trade, investments and cultural development. The highlight of their four-day tour is the wreath-laying rite at the monument of national hero Jose Rizal, and the call on the president/ Accompanying them to Malacañang are Philippine ambassadors to the US and Canada, and RP consul generals and tourism directors in the two countries. On the other hand, Filipino-Americans and Filipino-Canadians will explore investment opportunities as they attend the Business Opportunities Seminar and Fair organized by the DTI. - GMANews.TV