Aquino returns from ‘fruitful’ ASEAN Summit

President Benigno Aquino III returned to the Philippines early Monday, after visiting Myanmar to attend the 24th Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit.

Aquino arrived aboard a Philippine Airlines flight at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 2 at 1:20 a.m., radio dzBB's Manny Vargas reported.

In his arrival statement, Aquino characterized the ASEAN meet as "fruitful," because of the support given by ASEAN members for a diplomatic solution to the territorial row in the West Philippine Sea.



Aquino also pointed to closer economic ties created with ASEAN neighbors Brunei, Indonesia, and Malaysia through the Brunei-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA).

As part of the BIMP-EAGA, there will now be direct flights between Puerto Princesa, Palawan and Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia. Also, a Memorandum of Agreement between private companies established the Davao-GenSan-Tahuna-Bitung shipping service.

The ASEAN Summit drew to a close on Sunday with some member countries satisfied with the outcome of talks regarding the fragile West Philippine Sea dispute.

At the close of the summit, Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa said the consensus amongst ASEAN members on the issue "is an encouraging sign."

"ASEAN coming together is not a reflection of animosity towards anyone, because what we are reinforcing is a message of peace, message of peaceful settlement of disputes," he continued.

Albert del Rosario, Philippine Foreign Secretary, which has also staked a claim in the area, projected a similar message of unity as he left the summit.

"Well, I think we are very united and we are projecting centrality," he said. — with a report from Reuters/Joel Locsin/DVM, GMA News