PRESIDENT FERDINAND R. Marcos Jr. has pledged to advance the Philippines’ bilateral relations with Sri Lanka and Uganda, Malacañang said Wednesday.
Marcos made the commitment during the presentation of credentials of the new Sri Lankan Ambassador to the Philippines Chanaka Harsha Talpahewa and Uganda’s Non-Resident Ambassador to the Philippines Betty Oyella Bigombe in separate ceremonies at Malacañan Palace in Manila on Tuesday.
During the presentation of Talpahewa’s credentials, Marcos vowed to elevate the bilateral ties between the Philippines and Sri Lanka to improve the economies of both countries, Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Secretary Cheloy Garafil said in a statement
Marcos expressed optimism about the continued development of the Philippines and Sri Lanka’s relations during Talpahewa’s stint.
“With the continuing hope that the relationship between our two countries, which has been an ongoing and long-standing relationship for [62] years, is something that we will continue to develop and continue to make stronger,” Marcos said, as quoted by the PCO.
“Both our countries are looking to the future to develop the economies of our countries and to make a better life for our people. And I believe that we can find ways to work together to the mutual benefit of both our countries,” he added.
Talpahewa agreed with Marcos and promised to take the two nations’ “warm and friendly” bilateral ties “to the next level.”
The Philippines and Sri Lanka established their formal diplomatic relations on Jan. 11, 1961.
The Philippines has 15 bilateral agreements with Sri Lanka in the fields of consular or visa services, political consultations, air services, educational and cultural matters, trade, defense, higher education, agriculture, research and tourism.
From Jan. to Aug. 2023, the country recorded 1,706 tourist arrivals from Sri Lanka. In 2019, prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, a total of 6,412 Sri Lankan tourists visited the country.
Last year, Sri Lanka ranked as the Philippines’ 75th trading partner, with total trade reaching USD29.29 million. Exports were valued at USD20.49 million, while imports were valued at USD8.80 million.
Among the Philippines’ top exports to Sri Lanka include cereal preparations, flour, starch or milk, and pastry cooks’ products; miscellaneous chemical products; animal or vegetable fats and oils and their cleavage products, prepared edible fats, animal or vegetable waxes; organic chemicals; paper and paperboard, and articles of paper pulp, paper, or paperboard; sugars and sugar confectionery; plastics and articles; and optical, photographic, cinematographic, measuring, checking, precision, medical or surgical instruments and apparatus, and parts and accessories.
The Philippines’ top imports, on the other hand, include rubber and articles; coffee, tea, maté and spices; articles of apparel and clothing accessories; nuclear reactors, boilers, machinery, mechanical appliances, and parts; residues and waste from the food industries and prepared animal fodder; preparations of vegetables, fruits, nuts, or other parts of plants; ceramic products; and fish, crustaceans, and mollusks.
As of 2022, there are 677 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in Sri Lanka, working as craft and related trade professionals, managers, plant and machine operators and assemblers, professionals, services and sales workers, skilled agricultural forestry and fishery workers and technicians and associate professionals.
OFW remittances reached USD760,000 in 2022 and USD235,000 from January to April 2023.
Closer cooperation with Uganda
Marcos expressed intent to explore more areas of cooperation between the Philippines and Uganda, emphasizing the need to keep the two countries’ partnership “strong” and alliances “very profound and alive.”
“It’s a great pleasure for us to welcome you as the Ambassador from the Republic of Uganda to the Republic of the Philippines, and I hope that during the time you will be with us, you will be able to find many ways to strengthen the relationship between our two countries,” Marcos told Bigombe. “We are very much in the same path, our two countries, and therefore, I think the experiences and lessons that we have learned along the way will be of benefit to both our countries.”
Bigombe acknowledged that Uganda and the Philippines have enjoyed “warm, cordial and traditional relations for a long time,” being on the same path of delivering economic development.
She assured the Marcos of her commitment to promoting the two nations’ bilateral partnership.
In 2022, the Philippines’ total trade with Uganda was valued at USD4.04 million.
Also last year, Uganda ranked as the Philippines’ 123rd trading partner out of 231, 94th export market (out of 211), and 191st import supplier (out of 216).
The Philippines’ top exports to Uganda include electrical machinery and equipment and parts, sound recorders and reproducers, television image and sound recorders and reproducers, and parts and accessories of such articles; plastics; and, other made-up textile articles.
The country also ships worn clothing and worn textile articles, and rags; miscellaneous edible preparations; oil seeds and oleaginous fruits; miscellaneous grains, seeds, and fruit; and, industrial or medicinal plants; straw and fodder.
The Philippines’ top imports from Uganda include essential oils and resinoids; perfumery, cosmetic or toilet preparations; paper and paperboard; articles of paper pulp, paper or of paperboard; vehicles other than railway or tramway rolling stock, and parts and accessories; optical, photographic, cinematographic, measuring, checking, precision, medical or surgical instruments and apparatus, and parts and accessories thereof; and tools, implements, cutlery, spoons, and forks, base metal; and its parts.
In terms of tourism, there were 34 and 220 foreign tourist arrivals recorded for 2021 and 2022, respectively. In 2019, foreign tourist arrivals from Uganda totaled 526.
There are an estimated 96 Filipino nationals in Uganda, as of 2022. Majority of them are professionals and skilled workers.
OFW remittances amounted to USD842,000 in 2021 and USD848,160 in 2022. (Ruth Abbey Gita-Carlos)
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