ASEAN to sign common air ties with China, India, Japan and Korea

PANGLAO, Bohol – Member-countries of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) is expected to sign a multilateral air agreement among themselves together with China, India, Japan and Korea in December this year, Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) Secretary Leandro Mendoza said.

Secretary Mendoza, together with Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) General Manager Alfonso Cusi, was interviewed Monday night by Malacanang-based reporters at the Bohol Beach Club on the eve of the arrival to the province of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to groundbreak the proposed Panglao InternationalAirport and preside over the Cabinet meeting here.

Secretary Mendoza said the Philippines and other ASEAN countries have agreed in principle to liberalize their skies with the possible signing of a "common air agreement" in December this year.

Mr. Mendoza said ASEAN countries have also discussed with China, India, Japan and Korea the possibility of their joining in the regional air services grouping.

Mr. Cusi said ASEAN's adoption of an open skies policy would ultimately lead to the creation of a single aviation market in the region by 2015, wherein the Philippines needs to further develop its air transport policy as well as upgrade existing facilities.

Messrs. Mendoza and Cusi said that member-countries that include Malaysia and Thailand have already been developing airports with multiple runways to accommodate bigger traffic while the Philippines still has to develop one.

The two said one of the best options is to develop Clark International Airport as the country's international gateway considering it has a bigger land area to accommodate the construction of additional runways.

The liberalized air services grouping is expected to strengthen linkages within the regional air cargo industry, improve ASEAN economies, and boost the integration of ASEAN as a single and caring community by 2015 which was strongly pushed by the President during the Philippines' ASEAN chairmanship in Cebu. 

 Bringing down the price of rice a global movement – PGMA

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – It will take nothing short of a global movement to bring down the price of rice, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo said here today.

Keynoting the 16th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Farmer's Summit here, the President called on all Filipinos and ASEAN citizens to join forces and unite to address this "global phenomenon" affecting not only the region but the rest of the world.

The President had earlier said that the Philippines’ rice supply is adequate and can meet the demands of its people due to the Arroyo administration’s stringent rice management practices of ensuring supply, utilizing an efficient and low-cost distribution system, and by being vigilant against unscrupulous rice traders.

"The price (of rice), of course, is another matter," the President clarified.

"We realize that we must spend considerable time as we are doing today and in the months ahead not just resolving the situation in our individual countries, but dedicating ourselves to the regional and global discussions on what must be done for emerging nations such as ASEAN on the vital issue of food security," the President added.

 "We must work together to resolve this. Work together as a country, work together in ASEAN," the President urged.

To achieve this, the President stressed that her government will work with the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) "to explore ways of meeting the future needs for rice in the Philippines and that of other rice-producing countries in ASEAN."

She said the IRRI has "techniques" in rice planting and harvesting which it could impart to farmers here and in ASEAN.

"These techniques range from ensuring that farmers are aware of and can use the latest techniques in crop establishment, to making sure that social safety nets are in place," the President said.

"We must work together, in the Philippines and in ASEAN, to improve agronomic practices, to enhance the ability to utilize rice varieties more effectively and also to promote rice breeding and build training capacity," she added.

“With everyone working hand in hand, this will help prevent any global food crisis in the longer term."

"And because we are all together here, determined indeed to work together, we remain bullish on our country; we remain bullish on our region – ASEAN; we are optimistic about the future," the President said.

She then called on everyone to be "deeply committed to being a force for good and food security in the Philippines and ASEAN." # # #