PNoy’s trips abroad total nearly P800 million

President Benigno S.C. Aquino III traveled to about 26 countries during the more than three years of his presidency so far. These trips abroad cost taxpayers around P780 million, a cabinet official revealed on Sunday.

 

Still, these foreign trips have provided returns of P334 billion in investment and more than 43,000 jobs, Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio Coloma, Jr. said in an interview with radio dzRB on Sunday.

 

“We spent an average of P30 million per trip or a total of P780 million for 26 trips, that would be less than a billion in expenses or less than 1/334,” Coloma told GMA News Online via text.

 

According to Coloma, 55 foreign companies have pledge to provide 66 projects in the country. Out of this number, 16 projects have been implemented, 16 programs are still on going, and the remaining others are on preparation stage.

 

“Mahigit sa 611-bilyong piso na halaga ng puhunan at bagong negosyo ang ipinangako ng mga bansang Tsina, Hapon, Estados Unidos, at Britanya na magbubunga ng karagdagang 100,000 trabaho at hanapbuhay para sa mga Pilipino,” he noted. 

 

“Naging mabunga at makabuluhan ang paglalakbay ni Pangulong Aquino bilang pagpapalakas sa pakikipag-ugnayan ng Pilipinas sa ibang bansa at. . .napatatag at napalawig ang lakas ng ating ekonomiya sa mga larangan ng negosyo, kalakalan, at pamumuhunan,” he added.

 

Some of the countries that PNoy visited include United States, Vietnam, Japan, Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei Darussalam, South Korea, United Kingdom, Australia, and Switzerland among others. — KDM, GMA News