House Speaker Martin Romualdez welcomed the offer of Portugal to help the Philippines eradicate African Swine Fever that has been wreaking havoc on the country’s hog industry as well as the European country’s willingness to open its doors to Filipino workers.
The offer was relayed to Romualdez by Portuguese non-resident Ambassador to the Philippines, Maria Joào Falcào Poppe Lopes Cardoso, when she paid him a courtesy call at the Manila Golf and Country Club.
The veteran legislator committed to endorse the matter to the concerned agencies of the Executive Department for appropriate action to advance Portugal’s offer of assistance as well as other initiatives to expand bilateral trade and cooperation in areas of technology and defense.
“These propositions are of great mutual interest to both countries,” the seasoned lawmaker noted.
“A company in Portugal is willing to make a donation of expertise and to travel to the Philippines to support the eradication of swine fever.”
According to Cardoso, who is the concurrent Portuguese Ambassador to Indonesia and Brunei, a company in her country is “willing to make a donation of expertise and to travel to the Philippines to support eradicate swine fever”.
She noted that Portugal has extensive expertise on the matter, being one of the only two countries in Europe that successfully eradicated ASF.
Reports earlier said that as of June 1, there are 15 provinces in the Philippines that have active ASF cases although there were fewer detections in the past few weeks.
Ramon Garcia, Jr., Portugal’s honorary consul in Manila, said an organization of pork producers in Portugal is willing to send two experts in the Philippines to train personnel of the Bureau of Animal Industry in eradicating ASF.
Cardoso also said Filipino workers, particularly with their facility in the English language, are also welcome in the booming tourism industry in Portugal.
In addition, she said many Portuguese firms, particularly those involved in technology, are interested in doing business in the Philippines.
“Our President is the foremost advocate of utilizing technology and he is sincerely welcoming foreign investors. Besides, it makes a lot of sense for your companies to locate here, being among the fastest growing economies in the world,” Romualdez noted.
The Portuguese ambassador said one of their hi-tech firms specializing in biometrics and e-gates and currently serving over 100 airports in the world has entered into a joint venture with a Filipino company to pilot test their services that could increase the capacity of airports by facilitating the entry and exit of passengers.
“A hi-tech Portuguese firm is willing to establish their regional headquarters in the Philippines and put up a factory to service the technical needs of airports, thus creating jobs for Filipino workers.”
Garcia added that the hi-tech Portuguese firm is willing to establish their regional headquarters here in the Philippines and put up a factory, to service the technical needs of all these airports, thus creating jobs for Filipino workers.
Cardoso also said another Portuguese firm has partnered with a Filipino firm and is offering its secure communication technology to the Philippine defense establishment.
