RIYADH, 7 May 2006 — Philippines President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo arrives tonight with top officials of her Cabinet for a state visit, according to Special Envoy Antonio P. Villamor, who is part of the advance party to arrange Arroyo’s meetings with Saudi authorities.
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah will welcome the delegation at the airport.
“Everything is ready, from administrative matters to her itinerary and her meetings with Overseas Filipino Workers,” said Villamor.
Chargé d’Affaires Germinia Aguilar Usudan said after the welcome ceremonies, Arroyo and her delegation would proceed to the Conference Palace where they will be staying.
During her three-day stay here, Arroyo and King Abdullah are expected to hold talks on issues of mutual interests.
Her delegation consists of top Cabinet members, including Alberto Romulo, secretary of foreign affairs; Peter Favila, secretary of trade and industry; Raphael Lotilla, secretary of energy; and Patricia Tomas, secretary of labor. The Philippines and Saudi Arabia will sign an implementation plan for an agreement made in October on technical cooperation and assistance. The seven-year objective seeks to increase the exchange of expertise, information and research.
Mila Hernandez, deputy director general of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), said TESDA Secretary and Director General Augusto “Buboy” Syjuco will sign for the Philippines while Ali ibn Nasser Al-Ghafis, governor of the General Organization for Technical Education and Vocational Training (GOTEVOT), will sign on behalf of Saudi Arabia. The agreement will bring mostly women Filipino educators to the Kingdom.
“Most of the trainers will be women because Saudi Arabia will be setting up schools for Saudi women,” Hernandez said.
Other agreements under negotiation include the establishment of bilateral consultations, agreement on security and cooperation, cooperation against drug trafficking, an enhanced bilateral oil and gas database in the Philippines and technical assistance for capacity building in the Philippines petroleum industry.
Existing bilateral agreements between the two countries include the Philippine-Saudi Agreement for Economic, Trade, Investment and Technical Cooperation, the Reciprocal Promotion and Protection of Investments, a loan agreement between the Saudi Fund for Development and the Philippines, and a bilateral educational exchange program.
Arroyo is scheduled to meet Filipino expatriates in Riyadh tomorrow, and in Jeddah and Alkhobar on Tuesday. There are an estimated one million Filipino workers in Saudi Arabia.
Earlier, Arroyo left Manila for Macau yesterday en route to Saudi Arabia, officials said.
