Canada governor general appreciates PHL economic growth under PNoy

PNoy meets Governor General David Johnston, May 7, 2015 (Photo by Benhur Arcayan / Malacañang Photo Bureau)

MANILA – Canada Governor-General David Lloyd Johnston has commended the economic growth achieved by the Philippines under the administration of President Benigno Aquino III.

”Governor-General Johnston expressed admiration on the great strides made by the Aquino administration in terms of placing the Philippine economy on a high growth trajectory,” Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Secretary Herminio ‘Sonny’ Coloma Jr. said in a press statement on Friday.

Coloma issued the statement after President Aquino and Governor General Johnston held a cordial meeting at Rideau Hall in Ottawa, Canada.

During the meeting of the two leaders, Coloma said President Aquino cited the significant gains from “doing the right things right” in infrastructure development as well as in poverty reduction and social amelioration.

”President Aquino said that good governance and pursuing the righteous path were largely instrumental in enabling the Philippines to achieve a turn-around,” Coloma said.

Coloma said the President talked about the paradigm shift in directly providing cash benefits to the poorest families to ensure that children and youth stay in school and become productive citizens, as well as programs to clear backlogs in classrooms and textbooks and in propagating universal health care coverage.

”The Governor-General expressed interest in the possible participation of Canadian companies in public-private partnerships,” Coloma said.

The President took the opportunity to thank the Canadian people through the Governor-General for their significant assistance during the aftermath of super-typhoon Haiyan.

”He also cited Canada’s contribution to the advancement of the peace process in Mindanao. He lauded Canada’s National Research Council for its scientific and technological breakthroughs including those in acoustics and sound technology, that he himself has seen being a music-oriented person,” Coloma said.

The two leaders also exchanged notes on the promotion of small and medium enterprises which Canada has also vigorously supported.

Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Secretary Gregory Domingo shared the Philippines’ experience in setting up roving academies and training workshops as well as setting up shared facilities for start-up enterprises I the coffee, coconut, and loom weaving industries.

The Governor-General, on the other hand, expressed interest in the further development of the Philippines as a center for off-shoring of communication services and for business process outsourcing.

Joining the President were Secretaries Cesar Purisima of Finance, Domingo, Rosalinda Baldoz of Labor, Cabinet Secretary Rene Almendras, Arsenio Balisacan of National Economic Dev’’t Authority, Butch Abad of Budget, Foreign Affairs undersecretary Laura del Rosario, Philippine Ambassador to Canada Petronila Garcia and Coloma.

Governor-General Johnston was joined by his wife Sharon, Deputy Secretary Patricia Jaton, and Canadian Ambassador to the Philippines Neil Reeder, according to Coloma.

President Aquino is on a three-day state visit to Chicago and Canada.