Visit to Saudi Arabia Fruitful

[baron]

---

GMA visited the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to talk on oil prices and supplies and welfare of our OFW's. By now, Patricia Sto. Tomas announced that a total of 300 OFW's were granted royal clemency. Also, we gain assurance from KSA on oil supplies in case we experience oil disruption because of the oil crisis the international arena is experiencing.

The royal clemency is good news not only for the OFW's but for their families as well. Of course, the assurances made are good news to all of us. Who would not want a continued supply of oil? By now, the KSA government is also contemplating on putting up an oil refinery in Mindanao.

[Freeza]

now at least those poor pinoys in suadi jails will be sent home thats the most important GMa have accomplish in the saudi visit.....

[grabehbebe]

GMA ends Saudi visit with investment commitments, freed OFWs

President Arroyo arrives today in Manila after a four-day state visit to Saudi Arabia with two planeloads of freed Filipino overseas workers and billions of dollars in investment commitments and guarantees of oil supply for the country.

Presidential Adviser for the Peace Process Jesus Dureza said the visit also achieved gains in terms of the Philippines’ bid for an observer status in the influential Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC), which is the largest grouping of Muslim countries.

"Saudi Arabia is a strategic ally of the Philippines as our leading supplier of oil and host to more than a million Filipino workers," Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye said. "The assurances from the Kingdom of stable oil supply gives us a sense of security amidst a volatile market."

Mrs. Arroyo is expected to arrive at Villamor Air Base in Pasay City at around 1 p.m. aboard a chartered Philippine Airlines flight with some of the 300 Filipinos who were jailed for minor offenses and pardoned by the Saudi monarch. Officials said a chartered Gulf Air flight, carrying more Filipinos released from jail would arrive several minutes ahead of the President and welcome her.

Her visit took her to the capital Riyadh, Jeddah and Damman where she met with the King, Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz, Prince Salman, Prince Waleed bin Al-Talal and the top ministers of the Saudi government as well as business groups such as the Council of Saudi Chambers of Commerce and Jeddah Chamber of Commerce.

Mrs. Arroyo called on them to "recycle" their petrodollar and windfalls profits from the increased oil prices to equity investments in the country in mining, infrastructure, agribusiness, energy and power, and information and communications technology.

"The Philippines is poised to absorb Saudi investments into our energy, petrochemicals, tourism, mining, telecommunications, information technology and agricultural sectors," Mrs. Arroyo said in her meeting with business leaders.

"We are promoting fast-growing industries where high-value jobs are most plentiful and which can use our most competitive resource — the great Filipino worker."

When pressed about the actual worth of investment commitments, Bunye said: "We can’t give a figure yet as we have confer with the members of the business delegation regarding their talks with their Saudi counterparts."

"But we are confident that these would run to billions of dollars because the President was speaking in terms of investing in strategic sectors of the economy," he said.

Trade and Industry Secretary Peter Favila said the commitments to invest from Saudi businessmen and Saudi Prince Al-Waleed bin Al Talal including possible mining ventures, food processing and tourism.

"We don’t have the figures yet but the King (Abdulllah bin Abdul Aziz) has told his sons to put in investments in the areas the President has asked of him," Favila said.

Favila and Subic-Clark Area Development Council chairman Edgardo Pamintuan said Prince Waleed would be sending an investment mission in the coming weeks to study possible sites for putting up hotel resorts in the two former US bases turned economic zones.

Bunye said the Prince owns a worldwide hotel chain that requires a minimum investments of hundreds of millions of dollars.

Favila said initial talks on possible mining ventures with interest Saudi business leaders showed that at least $1 billion could be poured into the country.

Philip Romualdez, president of the Chamber of Mines of the Philippines, said there was some interest in possible mining investments in the country. However, Saudi businessmen were more interested in possible joint ventures into mining in the oil-rich kingdom with Philippine mining companies.

"They think there is a great potential for mining in their country other than oil," Romualdez said, adding the Philippines, the fifth most-mineralized country in the world, has a very long experience in modern mining.

Energy Secretary Raphael Lotilla said the Philippine government and Saudi oil giant Aramco are stepping up talks to set up an oil refinery in Mindanao to serve the American west coast market.

Mrs. Arroyo expressed appreciation for the support given by the Saudi monarch for the proposed oil refinery.

Favila also disclosed that Saudi officials also expressed interest in the Philippine proposal for them to provide financial and technical assistance to develop the Halal Accreditation body in the country as well as investments in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao’s export processing zone in Maguindanao.

By Paolo Romero
The Philippine Star 05/11/2006
http://www.philstar.com/philstar/NEWS200605110407.htm

[darkdevil]

and thats the person they want to kick out from the
administration.....

[baron]

^ A working president at that. One who moves with results in the end. If you can only see the families of these OFWs who were overjoyed by the news. The last time I heard, 700 are bound to go home and were granted royal clemency.

[grabehbebe]

Another positive news from Her visit to Arabian country is that King Abdullah has increased the number of pardoned OFW's from 50 now 700. :mrgreen:

Here is the news:
GMA back, lauds king for freeing 700 OFWs

PRESIDENT Gloria Macapagal Arroyo said Saudi Arabian King Abdullah has increased the number of pardoned Filipino workers to 700 from 50 as a sign of goodwill to her.

“I am now home not just with those who left Manila but with our workers who were pardoned by the king,” the President said as she arrived from Riyadh yesterday afternoon after her four-day visit of the kingdom.

“King Abdullah told me how he cherishes Filipino workers, and he has granted clemency to nearly 700 of them,” she said.

Ten of the 700 Filipinos were said to be in jail for homicide and faced beheading until they were pardoned.

King Abdullah had pardoned almost 200 Filipino workers before Mrs. Arroyo left for Riyadh on May 7 in anticipation of her arrival.

He said he would pardon another 52 Filipino women in jail on light sentences when he and the President met for the traditional state dinner. And before Mrs. Arroyo left for Manila, the king said he would pardon 450 more, the President said.

“The king paid for their blood money and air fare,” Mrs. Arroyo said, adding the pardoned Filipinos would arrive in three groups. The first group of 188 workers arrived yesterday almost four hours after the Presidential plane landed in Villamor air base.

Meanwhile, Mrs. Arroyo said Saudi Prince Waleed bin al-Talal would be sending a business delegation here next month to finalize their investment in mining, tourism, energy and other industries.
She said officials of Saudi Arabian Oil Co., the world’s largest oil producer and which owns 40 percent of Petron Corp., might join the delegation to finalize the contract for a second oil refinery in Mindanao.

Saudi Aramco has already decided to build a $300 million petrochemical plant in Bataan.
“I am harnessing strategic diplomacy to gain more investments for the country,” Mrs. Arroyo said.
Saudi Aramco manages estimated reserves of 260 billion barrels of oil, a quarter of the world’s total, and the world’s fourth largest gas reserves.

The company has 3,000 Filipinos in its multinational workforce at its Shaybah complex, which was visited by President Arroyo during her four-day trip.

:mrgreen:

By Joyce Pangco Pañares
http://www.manilastandardtoday.com/?...s02_may12_2006

[eelssej_]

really fruitful...

hope we'll learn to support our president...

[samsungster]

at least naay na ani...

[potterboy]

bantay lang gyud mo ni mosimos cge mo praise ni GMA. *dagan potter*

[grabehbebe]

50 more domestics fly home from Saudi

News said that there 50 more domestic workers were pardoned by the saudi king. A total of 224 workers who were jailed in Saudi for various crimes were sent home after PGMA visited the kingdom and ask for their freedom.

Head of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration said that there are still 128 pinoy workers waiting to be sent home and they are expecting 352 atleast before June 12.