Arroyo to visit Switzerland, Italy, Bahrain

MANILA, Philippines - President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo will visit Switzerland, Italy and Bahrain from Jan. 30 to Feb. 5 to ensure the job security of overseas Filipinos and find new job opportunities for them. Deputy presidential spokesperson Lorelei Fajardo said Mrs. Arroyo will speak at the plenary of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland on the topic of “rebooting the global economy." She said aside from sharing the Philippine experience, the President will also encourage investors to go to the Philippines. “It will be very significant because this means that our country is being recognized on the global economy when it comes to strategies. I think this is very significant in the sense that all nations are focused on how we are going to resolve this ongoing financial crisis," Fajardo said. She said the President will also meet with potential investors and the Filipino community in Milan and Bahrain. Mrs. Arroyo will also promote the tourism industry, she added. Fajardo said Mrs. Arroyo will be discussing the concerns of the overseas Filipino workers in her meeting with the Prime Minister of Bahrain. OFWs who will be displaced in the US and China “might have other options abroad," according to the deputy presidential spokesperson. Mrs. Arroyo, in her speech at the 18th anniversary celebration of the PNP, said the Philippines' uninterrupted economic growth for 36 successive quarters is “a historical record." “Never before did we have 36 quarters of uninterrupted growth and this growth has brought down the rate of poverty, brought up the annual average new employment, supported 7 million micro-entrepreneurs some of whom I hope are your families because we have microfinance services just for the PNP," she said. She said the PNP contributed a lot to the emergency employment program by recruiting out of school youth who were later on given jobs. - GMANews.TV