UAE invites PHL to join exchange program to boost business ties 

EXECUTIVE Secretary Lucas P. Bersamin has been directed to draft a memorandum of understanding regarding the United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) proposal to the Philippines for an exchange of information program.

The Presidential Communication Office (PCO) made the statement after UAE officials met with President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. on Tuesday.   

“In terms of the economy, the UAE said there are a lot of companies in their country wanting to build their businesses in the Philippines as they emphasized that they wanted to introduce a new program which is similar to what they have been doing to other countries,” the PCO said.   

The exchange program by the Office of the Prime Minister is now participated in by 40 countries including Egypt, Spain, and Jordan, UAE Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary H.E. Mohamed Obaid Salem Alqataam Alzaabi told Mr. Marcos Jr.  

“The Ambassador explained that the program was launched in 2018 as a ‘platform knowledge,’ where the Philippine and the UAE governments, for example, can exchange information to be covered by a memorandum of understanding, should President Marcos approve the proposal,” the PCO said.  

The UAE officials also told Mr. Marcos that they want the Philippines to become a member of the Global Mangrove Alliance, the PCO said.  

“We have made great efforts to preserve and restore our mangrove ecosystem. As a matter of fact, the law in the Philippines is, you cannot touch mangroves at all, and because of that, the mangroves have grown back,” Mr. Marcos told them.  

“In fact, they grow back so much that sometimes they are already beginning to block the rivers. So maybe there is much you can learn on the management of it because I think we have done as much as we can in terms of preservation,” he added. 

Mr. Marcos said he would want to study the structure of the alliance and how the group works. 

“But again, the preservation of the mangroves is a very big issue. It is a very important point for the Philippines because of all the waterways that we have,” he added. 

The UAE officials also invited Mr. Marcos to attend the 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference, or the Conference of the Parties (COP) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, to be held in December this year in Dubai. — Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza