
	Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC)

	National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC)

	www.senate.gov.ph

	www.kabayannoli.com

SPEECH OF VICE PRESIDENT NOLI DE CASTRO

27th AMAF AND 5th AMAF + 3

SEPTEMBER 29, 2005

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, GOOD MORNING.

TO THE OFFICIALS AND DELEGATES OF THE 27th MEETING OF THE ASEAN MINISTERS ON AGRICULTURE AND FORESTRY OR AMAF AND THE 5th MEETING OF THE AMAF WITH CHINA, KOREA, AND JAPAN OR THE SO-CALLED AMAF PLUS THREE PARTNERS, I WOULD LIKE TO EXTEND TO ALL OF YOU THE WARM GREETINGS OF THE FILIPINO PEOPLE. AS WE SAY IN OUR LANGUAGE: MALIGAYANG PAGDATING MABUHAY PO KAYO.

WELCOME TO THE PHILIPPINES. IT IS, INDEED, A GREAT HONOR TO ONCE AGAIN PLAY HOST TO THE AMAF AND THE AMAF PLUS THREE MEETINGS.

I AM VERY HAPPY TO SEE ALL OF YOU TODAY. YOUR PRESENCE IS TRULY A PLEASANT INDICATION OF YOUR CONFIDENCE IN OUR COUNTRY AND IN OUR CAPACITY TO ACHIEVE OUR COMMITMENTS TO THE ASEAN AND THE UNITED NATIONS.

ONE ASEAN

AS YOU MAY RECALL, WE JUST CONCLUDED THE 2nd ASEAN-UN SUMMIT IN NEW YORK ON SEPTEMBER 13, 2005. AND ON BEHALF OF THE PHILIPPINE GOVERNMENT, I WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE UNITED NATIONS FOR ITS SUPPORT FOR ASEAN'S GOAL OF ESTABLISHING AN ASEAN COMMUNITY AND AN ASEAN CHARTER.

YOU MAY ALSO REMEMBER THAT AT THE 10th ASEAN SUMMIT IN VIENTIANE, LAOS WE SIGNED THE VIENTIANE ACTION PROGRAMME OR VAP, A SIX-YEAR PLAN THAT SERVES AS A VEHICLE TOWARDS BUILDING AN ASEAN COMMUNITY THROUGH COMPREHENSIVE INTEGRATION.

IN THE JOINT COMMUNIQUE OF THE SECOND ASEAN-UN SUMMIT, THE ASEAN LEADERS UNDERSCORED THE IMPORTANCE OF THE VAP IN CLOSING THE DEVELOPMENT GAPS WITHIN ASEAN.

WE ALSO WELCOMED THE ASSISTANCE OF THE UN TO LESSER-DEVELOPED MEMBER-COUNTRIES PARTICULARLY IN STRENGTHENING THEIR LEGAL, INSTITUTIONAL AND REGULATORY FRAMEWORKS AND THEIR CAPACITIES FOR INTEGRATION.

ALL THESE DEVELOPMENTS ADD IMPORTANCE TO THE THEME OF THE 11th ASEAN SUMMIT TO BE HELD IN MALAYSIA IN DECEMBER OF THIS YEAR --- "ONE VISION, ONE IDENTITY, ONE COMMUNITY".

WE ARE TRULY ONE COMMUNITY AND ONE ASEAN FAMILY IN THIS PART OF THE WORLD.

I BELIEVE THAT WE IN THE ASEAN ARE ALL COMMITTED IN FIGHTING THE BATTLE AGAINST POVERTY AND HUNGER. AFTER ALL, WE ARE SIGNATORIES TO THE WORLD FOOD SUMMIT AND MILLENNIUM DECLARATIONS.

HENCE, IT IS IN OUR BEST INTEREST THAT WE JOIN HANDS TO HASTEN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THESE MDGS AND TO REACH OUR WORLD FOOD SUMMIT TARGET OF CUTTING HUNGER BY HALF IN THE YEAR 2020.

LEST WE FORGET, THE OTHER VISION BY YEAR 2020 IS FOR THE ASEAN ECONOMIC COMMUNITY TO BE A SINGLE MARKET AND PRODUCTION BASE WITH FREE FLOW OF GOODS, SERVICES, INVESTMENT, SKILLED LABOR AND CAPITAL.

PERHAPS, THESE COMMON OBJECTIVES SHOULD INSPIRE OUR ASEAN LEADERS TO PROVIDE GREATER ATTENTION TO AGRICULTURE AND FOOD SECURITY.

CONSIDERING THAT AGRICULTURE IS THE BACKBONE OF MOST ASEAN ECONOMIES, WE SHOULD LOOK AT WAYS TO INCREASE INVESTMENTS IN THE SECTOR AND BOLSTER REGIONAL COOPERATION.

CONTINUED COOPERATION

I WOULD LIKE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE EFFORTS OF THE MINISTERS OF AMAF FOR DILIGENTLY PURSUING THE ACTION PROGRAM OUTLINED BY THE VIENTIANNE ACTION PROGRAMME.

THE ROADMAP TO DEVELOPMENT HAS ALREADY BEEN FORMULATED. WE KNOW WHAT WE WANT: COMPETITIVENESS, REGIONAL INTEGRATION, AND GREATER PRIVATE SECTOR PARTICIPATION.

THE CHALLENGE IS HOW TO CONVERT THESE GOALS INTO ACTIONS WITH SPECIFIC TIMELINES ACHIEVABLE BETWEEN NOW AND THE YEAR 2010.

LET US GIVE ATTENTION TO THE IMPLEMENTATION OF PROJECTS THAT WILL PROMOTE THE SUCCESSFUL INTEGRATION OF PRIORITY ECONOMIC SECTORS, INCLUDING AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FORESTRY --- THE SECTORS WHERE WE HAVE COMPARATIVE ADVANTAGE.

A SUCCESSFUL INTEGRATION WOULD SURELY CONTRIBUTE TO THE IMPROVEMENT OF THE ECONOMIES OF ASEAN MEMBER COUNTRIES AND HELP IN THE ACHIEVEMENT OF THE MDGS.

WE SHOULD ALSO CONTINUE WORKING TOGETHER IN ADDRESSING URGENT ISSUES, SUCH AS THE CONTROL AND ERADICATION OF HIGHLY INFECTIOUS DISEASES LIKE AVIAN FLU, BIRD FLU AND SWINE FEVER WHICH CONTINUE TO THREATEN OUR GAINS IN THE AGRICULTURE SECTOR.

I AM PLEASED WITH YOUR EFFORTS TO STRENGTHEN ANIMAL DISEASE CONTROL PROGRAMS. I CERTAINLY HOPE THAT IT WILL CONTINUE TO BE A PRIORITY CONCERN BY THE AMAF. WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE WORKPLAN PREPARED BY THE ASEAN HIGHLY PATHOGENIC AVIAN INFLUENCIA TASK FORCE IMPLEMENTED VERY SOON.

WE WOULD ALSO LIKE TO REMIND YOU OF THE NEED TO FAST-TRACK THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE ANIMAL HEALTH TRUST FUND. AS YOU ARE AWARE, THIS WAS APPROVED IN THE 24th AMAF.

IN ADDITION, WE SHOULD ALSO LOOK AT ALL THE OTHER NOTABLE COOPERATION ACTIVITIES WITHIN THE ASEAN COMMUNITY, SUCH AS FOOD SECURITY AND FOOD SAFETY, HARMONIZATION OF PHYTOSANITARY MEASURES AND MAXIMUM RESIDUE LEVELS, ASEAN STANDARDS FOR HORTICULTURE PRODUCTS, FISHERIES, FORESTRY, RESEARCH, EXTENSION AND COOPERATIVES.

I URGE OUR MINISTERS TO COME UP WITH NEW INITIATIVES TO SAFEGUARD OUR GAINS AND ATTAIN THE VISIONS AND GOALS THAT AMAF AND AMAF PLUS THREE HAS SET FOR A STRONG AND UNITED ASEAN.

CLOSING

I AM HAPPY TO NOTE THAT IN ALL THESE UNDERTAKINGS, THE ASEAN IS UNITED AS ONE --- BUT NOT ALONE.

I WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE PLUS 3 COUNTRIES, NAMELY CHINA, JAPAN, AND KOREA, FOR THEIR ASSISTANCE AND COOPERATION IN UNDERTAKING JOINT PROJECTS WITH THE ASEAN.

MARAMING SALAMAT PO!

AT THIS POINT, I WOULD LIKE TO DECLARE THE 27th MEETING OF THE ASEAN MINISTERS ON AGRICULTURE AND FORESTRY AND THE 5th MEETING OF THE ASEAN MINISTERS ON AGRICULTURE AND FORESTRY PLUS 3 "OPEN".

THANK YOU AND GOOD DAY. MABUHAY ANG ASEAN!

HOME |