Amman, Jordan – President Rodrigo Roa Duterte will bring home US $143 million worth of investments to the country following his historic week-long trip to Israel and Jordan, Malacañang announced on Friday, September 7.
Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque, Jr. conducted a press briefing here to discuss the highlights of the President’s official visits to the two countries. More than US $143 million worth of investment agreements and pledges were signed during the trips, he stressed.
In Israel, President Duterte witnessed the signing of 21 business agreements between several companies, Roque said. These include three Memoranda of Agreement, 11 Memoranda of Understanding, and seven Letters of Intent, all with an estimated investment value of US $82.9 million.
Furthermore, Roque said President Duterte had a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The two leaders discussed the strengthening of their nations’ defense and security cooperation.
“Syempre po, kinikilala natin ngayon ang Israel bilang isang major partner sa AFP [Armed Forces of the Philippines] modernization program. At tayo po ngayon ay isa sa pinaka-importanteng merkado para po sa mga armas na gawa sa Israel,” Roque said.
The Palace Spokesperson added that an agreement on labor cooperation was also discussed, particularly on the need to ease the burden of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) by reducing the amount of placement fees to be paid by Filipino caregivers working in Israel.
Meanwhile, in Jordan, Roque said US $60.675 million worth of investment deals were signed. These include two Memoranda of Understanding and eight Letters of Intent.
The Chief Executive met with Jordan’s King Abdullah bin Al-Hussein at the Al Husseinieh Palace in Amman. According to Roque, the topics discussed included agreements on political consultation, defense cooperation, investment deals, as well as framework agreements for the employment of OFWs.
Roque said President Duterte thanked the Jordanian government for hosting the Aqaba meetings of Southeast Asia, an initiative that promotes international cooperation on counterterrorism. He also thanked King Abdullah for donating two helicopters and other firearms to the Philippine government. (PCO-Content)
