PNoy to woo Asian investors to PHL in Myanmar forum

President Benigno Aquino III hopes to woo Asian investors to the Philippines when he flies to Myanmar on Friday to attend the World Economic Forum (WEF) on East Asia.

At a press briefing on Tuesday, Communications Secretary Ricky Carandang said Aquino wants to ramp up the country's investments from east Asian countries, particularly in the agriculture and infrastructure sectors.

"The agenda of the Aquino administration is to generate inclusive growth and we can do that by inviting investors in who can create jobs and that is the way of sustaining the anti-poverty programs that we have begun," Carandang said.

He added that the President wants to entice more businessmen "from our part of the world" who will attend the forum in Myanmar to invest in the Philippines.

Aquino's attendance at the forum will mark his first visit to Myanmar, and also the first visit by a Philippine President to the country since 1997.

Carandang likewise said that Aquino also aims to attract more tourists to the Philippines during the forum to be able to reach the government's target of 5.5 million foreign arrivals to the country this year.

The WEF, which is based in Switzerland, describes itself as "an independent international organization committed to improving the state of the world by engaging business, political, academic and other leaders of society to shape global, regional and industry agendas."

In this year's WEF on East Asia, global leaders are expected to tackle how to unify economic efforts of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

Bilateral talks with Myanmar leader

Carandang likewise said that Aquino will hold bilateral talks with Myanmar President Thein Sein at the forum.

The two leaders are expected to discuss the reforms instituted by Myanmar, the strengthening of economic cooperation between the two countries and Myanmar’s chairmanship of ASEAN next year.

The Philippine president will also hold a meeting with global democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi  to exchange views on the developments in Myanmar and on how to make full use of the legislative framework to effect meaningful change in Myanmar.

Suu Kyi, an opposition leader who was placed under house arrest for 15 years, is currently a member of Myanmar's parliament.

The Philippines was one of the harshest critics of the military junta that formerly ruled Myanmar, aggressively calling for the nation’s democratization and the release of thousands of political prisoners then led by Nobel Peace laureate Suu Kyi.

Western nations led by Europe and the United States have imposed tough financial and economic sanctions against the former Myanmar regime since the 1990s amid allegations of gross human rights violations and failure to heed its call to institute democratic reforms.

But Thein Sein, a former junta general who was appointed president of Myanmar to head a nominally civilian government following a rare election in 2010, stunned the international community by embarking on a surprising array of reforms that included the release of political prisoners, including Suu Kyi—a move that earned instant recognition from staunch critics like the US. — with a report from Michaela del Callar/BM, GMA News