Aquino admin to spend P12.27M for Indonesia-Singapore visits

The Aquino administration will be spending a total of P12.27 million, excluding airfares, for its state visits to Indonesia and Singapore this week, according to Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr. In a statement released Monday, Ochoa said a “lean" 53-man delegation will join President Benigno Aquino III on his four-day tour which starts Monday, March 7, 2011. Ochoa said this is consistent with Aquino’s three previous foreign trips and “minimum expenditures, maximum returns" policy. “The President continues to believe that we can achieve all the targets of our foreign trips without having to spend more than what is absolutely necessary," he said. Aquino and his delegation will depart Monday evening for Indonesia, where Aquino is scheduled to meet with Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudyohono and witness the signing of three agreements on basic education, sports cooperation, and cooperation on preventing and combating transnational crimes and capacity building. On March 9, Aquino will fly to Singapore to meet with Singaporean President SR Nathan, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, and Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew to discuss the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) initiatives, the Philippines-Singapore Action Plan, and other bilateral and ASEAN concerns. “The President wants to try to pack as many meetings and briefings as possible to maximize his visits to these two countries. This way he hopes to get more done, given how short his stays in Indonesia and Singapore will be," Ochoa said. In an interview, Aquino said he will be exploring the possibility of having a common stand among members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) regarding the disputed Spratlys Islands during his visit to Indonesia. “I will be exploring the possibility. Reed Bank can be utilized now but again we are not able to exploit it dahil nga sa (because of the) disputes. Hindi kaya maganda kung may joint exploration (Is it better if there is a joint exploration)?" he said, referring to the site of an alleged harassment done by Chinese patrollers to a Philippine-sanctioned oil exploration team. He, however, said it is just an idea and he has yet to talk about it to other government officials. “But the concept is how do we accelerate the phase whereby everybody gets to benefit from the resources, regardless of which country within the ASEAN," he said. Cabinet members joining the President in the state visits are Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima, Energy Secretary Jose Rene Almendras, Trade Secretary Gregory Domingo and Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. — KBK, GMA News