Palace welcomes US President Trump’s extended visit to PH

FILE: President Donald Trump (Photo by Gage Skidmore/Flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0)

MANILA — Malacañang on Saturday welcomed the announcement of the White House that United States President Donald Trump would extend his stay in the Philippines to attend the East Asia Summit (EAS).

The US Embassy in Manila had earlier announced that Trump will skip the East Asia Summit (EAS).

The US President however decided to extend his trip to the country for another day in order to attend the EAS this November.

The EAS is an annual meeting of national leaders from the East Asian region and adjoining countries. The 12th EAS will convene in Angeles, Pampanga on Novembers 13 and 14 this year.

“The President [Duterte] looks forward to engaging President Trump in the productive dialogue at the ASEAN-US Commemorative Summit and the EAS,” Presidential Communications Secretary Martin Andanar said during the radio briefing aired over Radyo Pilipinas.

The Palace official said that this would be the perfect time for ASEAN and other partnering countries to resolve current issues.

Andanar said that the Philippines, as the host and chair of the 31st ASEAN Summit and Related Meetings, is set to welcome all foreign leaders and delegates to ensure that they would experience Filipino hospitality at its finest.

“And since we are about to approach the culminating event of the 31st ASEAN, we will need to ensure the security of the ASEAN leaders plus the partnering countries,” Secretary Andanar said.

“We should show our best foot forward kasi this is the time that we can show the whole world that we are a very good country, a very nice country, disciplined people, and we are very warm, alam na naman ng lahat ‘yan.

And we are very orderly,” he added.

Meanwhile, the Communications chief said that this year, the Gala Dinner for the ASEAN leaders will be held the night before the 31st ASEAN Summit.

“Kumbaga, fresh pa ‘yung mga leaders natin kasi kararating pa lang ng Pilipinas and nakapaghanda na rin ‘yung mga senior ministers days prior to that. So ‘yun ang isang pagkakaiba ng ASEAN,” Andanar said. (PND)