State Banquet in honour of President Benigno Aquino

Your Excellency, President Benigno Aquino
Excellencies
Distinguished Guests
Ladies and Gentlemen

1  It is with great pleasure that I welcome Your Excellency on your first State Visit to Singapore.  In 1986, we had the honour of hosting your mother, the late President Corazon Aquino, when she made her State Visit to Singapore. 

2  More than 20 years have gone by since her visit.  In the short span of two decades, the world has ushered in an era of globalisation. Today, nation-states are required to band together to deal with increasingly complex and multi-faceted challenges, as well as new opportunities. The strong partnership between Singapore and the Philippines exemplifies the spirit of collaboration that is required to survive and thrive in this new global environment.

Your Excellency
  
3  Our bilateral relations have always been strong. We are bound together not only by strong historical connections but also by our increasingly robust economic ties. Besides being your country’s fourth largest trading partner last year, Singapore is also a major investor in the Philippines with registered cumulative investments reaching some S$4.2 billion as at end 2009.  The recent expansion of our bilateral air services can be expected to further strengthen these bonds of friendship, with more of our peoples getting together for trade and tourism. Your country has so much to offer in this regard.

4  Our people to people ties have remained strong.  They complement our strong political and economic ties and provide our bilateral relationship with greater resilience.  I was pleased to learn that we are now the top visitor contributor to the Philippines from the ASEAN countries. Many Filipinos similarly visit Singapore for both work and leisure. I am glad to learn that we have shared experiences among our peoples. More than 2,000 Filipino officials have attended various training programmes under our Singapore Cooperation Programme (SCP) since the SCP was started in 1992, forging even close friendships in the process. Many Filipino students are also studying here. 

5  There is also a sizeable Filipino community residing here, making significant contributions to Singapore’s development. The profile of the community has gradually changed over recent years. There are now many Filipino professionals working in various sectors, some of whom occupy top positions in business and industry. The Filipino community has integrated very well.  Many of them attend the same places of worship as Singaporeans, and participate actively in our community activities. The Filipino community’s bayanihan spirit and infectious zest for life have added vibrancy to Singapore.  I have invited some distinguished Filipinos who are based here to join us.  I hope you have had the opportunity to meet them earlier.

Your Excellency

6  Singapore and the Philippines share strong common interests in promoting regionalism. As maritime countries, our links have historically been with the seas around us. We naturally share common interests in the freedom of navigation and safety at sea. As founding members of ASEAN, we also share the same interest to keep ASEAN cohesive, strong and relevant as we head towards the establishment of the ASEAN Community by 2015.

7  With the worst of the 2008 global financial crisis behind us, our region is well poised for growth.  We must be focused on our common goal of achieving an ASEAN Community. The ASEAN Connectivity Master Plan is an innovative idea that seeks to enhance physical, institutional, and people-to-people connectivity in ASEAN. I look forward to working with you to strengthen our ASEAN links with the globalised international economy.

8  As Your Excellency aptly pointed out in your speech to the Council on Foreign Relations in New York in September last year, and I quote, "From a small grouping of 10 nations, ASEAN has now emerged as the nucleus of regional dialogue and cooperation". It is my hope that the Philippines and Singapore could, with your visit, work in even closer partnership to deepen regional cooperation in this globalised world.  Let us continue with our strong partnership to preserve the centrality and relevance of ASEAN in the evolving regional architecture in Asia.

Your Excellency
Distinguished Guests
Ladies and Gentlemen

9 May I now invite you to rise and join me in a toast to:
• the good health and success of President Benigno Aquino;
• the peace, progress and prosperity of the Philippines; and
• to the enduring friendship between the Philippines and Singapore .

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