Obama: Philippines punches above its weight

After meeting President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, the first Southeast Asian leader invited to the White House in his administration, US President Barack Obama on Friday paid tribute to the Philippines using a boxing metaphor. "Although the Philippines is not the largest of countries, it, in using a phrase from boxing, punches above its weight in the international arena," Obama said in a joint press briefing punctuated by laughter and quips by the US's new president. "Punching above his weight" is a phrase often used to describe Manny Pacquiao. A former high school varsity basketball player who is fond of using sports analogies, Obama used the phrase to call the Philippines a "strong voice" in Asia "in dealing with issues in Asia ranging from the human rights violations that have for too long existed in Burma to the problems that we’re seeing with respect to nuclear proliferation in North Korea." "I am very pleased that President Arroyo has made such good progress on dealing with counterterrorism issues," Obama added. "She has initiated a peace process in Mindanao that we think is — has the potential to bring peace and stability to a part of the Philippines that has been wracked by unrest for too long." In the meeting, Obama said: "I am looking forward to my travels to Southeast Asia, and the Philippines will be the coordinating country in the US relationship with Asean, the primary organization — strategic organization for Southeast Asian countries." What the US president meant was that the Philippines will be the chair of the Asean-US dialogue when the conference begins in October in Thailand, according to Foreign Affairs spokesperson Ed Malaya. As the chair of the dialogue, the Philippines will be voicing the collective position of the 10-member Asean to the US during the meeting on various issues. "Internationally, we stand foursquare behind the United States on the position that it has taken with regard to Burma and with regard to North Korea’s nuclear adventurism," Mrs. Arroyo said during the 13-minute press briefing. In radio interviews after the historic meeting, President Arroyo said, "It’s (RP as dialogue chair) something that the US recognizes as important for them. And from what I can see, and I think what you can see, President Obama appreciates that role because there are many things we agree on," Mrs. Arroyo said in interviews by radio stations in Manila. But Mrs. Arroyo could not say when Obama would visit the Philippines. "I suppose he will visit the Philippines sooner or later. The President is a very busy person and there’s a lot of demand on his time." The Philippines and the US are one in supporting the release of Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, and have both condemned recent nuclear tests by North Korea, she said. The Asean, founded in 1967, includes Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam. Military, economic assistance "The US will continue to work with us in intelligence-sharing and other forms of cooperation against counter-terrorism," she said. Mrs. Arroyo said they also talked about economic matters during the meeting. According to her, she brought up the Save-Our-Industries Act pending in the US Congress, which she said may give the Philippines a bigger market for its products like textiles. She said the Philippines will also work on specific industries that can benefit from the country's relations with the US: bananas production, garments, and seaweed. "Therefore it’s win-win for both sides. That’s the way to get the world out of the economic recession by having more trade rather than having less trade," she said. "We discussed peace and security issues, we discussed how to strengthen regional cooperation on anti-terrorism. We discussed how to advance the peace process in Mindanao. We discussed how the military helped us in what I mentioned earlier upgrading the professionalism and effectivity of our soldiers, advancing soft power. And these have helped to have a new paradigm for peace in Mindanao. "Also we discussed we must work together especially in more economic engagements with each other that is the way to bring back the global economy to full recovery. In short if there’s any agreement we made it’s to continue cooperation in all of these areas," she added. Mrs. Arroyo said she relayed to Obama the Philippines’ gratitude for supporting Third World countries and including the benefits for Filipino World War II veterans in the US economic bailout package. She said she also expressed gratitude for the US House of Representatives’ passage of the American Clean Energy Security Act as it shows the US’ commitment to helping mitigate climate change, which is expected to greatly affect the Philippines, an archipelago made up of more than 7,000 islands. ’Very impressive’ "The purpose of the meeting was straightforward, to cement the relationship of our country with the new US president because the US is essential to our economic, diplomatic and national security," Mrs. Arroyo said. Mrs. Arroyo was all praises for the US president, whom she described as "cordial, warm, welcoming" and "very impressive." "Alam na alam niya ang relasyon ng Pilipino at saka ng mga Amerikano (He knows the relations of Filipinos and Americans very well)," she said. As heads of state who meet usually exchange gifts, Mrs. Arroyo said she gave the Obamas pearls from the Philippines’ south seas. "Para kay Pangulo may perlas na cufflinks at kay First Lady [Michelle Obama] naman, perlas na brooch (For President Obama, cufflinks with pearls, while we gave a brooch with pearls to the First Lady)," she said. Presidential photographer Jerry Carual, one of two photographers allowed to cover the meeting, told government-run dzRB radio the meeting was "very casual." Carual said Obama shook hands with each member of Mrs. Arroyo’s delegation. With Mrs. Arroyo at the meeting were Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita, Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo, presidential assistant for global warming and climate change Heherson Alvarez, and House Speaker Prospero Nograles. What reprimand? In an interview early Friday with GMA News’ Arnold Clavio on Unang Hirit, presidential adviser for political affairs Gabriel Claudio said the meeting between Mrs. Arroyo and Obama surpassed all expectations and was a milestone in the relationship between the two countries. "This is a very great achievement not only for the President but for the entire country," Claudio said. Obama even praised Mrs. Arroyo during their 45-minute one-on-one meeting, particularly her accomplishments in bucking the economic crisis, the peace process in Mindanao and the fight against terror, Claudio added. The Palace official stressed that the administration’s critics were proven wrong when they said that Obama would reprimand Mrs. Arroyo in the meeting. "Pasensya na if I sound like I’m gloating, pero talagang nakakakilig ang naganap na pagpupulong ng dalawang Pangulo (I’m sorry if I sound like I’m gloating, but it’s really thrilling what happened in the meeting between the two Presidents)," Claudio said. But militant group Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) said in a statement that the meeting was fruitless and merely a reaffirmation of an existing "unequal ties." Mrs. Arroyo is expected to return to the Philippines on Wednesday, August 5. - with Joseph Holandes Ubalde, GMANews.TV