THE Philippines and Singapore yesterday signed agreements aimed at governing and regulating the deployment of Filipino healthcare workers and on the exchange of carbon credits for reduced greenhouse emissions.
President Marcos Jr. and Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam, in a ceremony in Malacañang, witnessed the exchange of signed memorandum of understanding (MOU) on the Recruitment of Filipino Healthcare Workers between the Department of Migrant Workers and the Ministry of Health, and MOU on Collaboration on Carbon Credits Under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement between the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and the Ministry of Trade.
The MOU on healthcare workers aims to provide a formal mechanism to govern and regulate the deployment of Filipino healthcare workers to Singapore as well as provide support for their eventual reintegration in the Singaporean workforce.
The MOU on the Collaboration on Carbon Credits signifies the desire of both countries to cooperate in achieving national development in a sustainable way.
Shanmugaratnam highlighted the demand for healthcare workers in his country and emphasized the urgency of the establishment of the framework for trade carbon credits.
Carbon credits are units earned for the reduction of the greenhouse gas emissions.
Marcos said apart from the two signed MOUs, and the MOU on Defense Cooperation signed in July, the Philippines and Singapore are also discussing further cooperation in the areas of health and maritime security.
“MOUs in the fields of health and maritime security are already in the pipeline and are anticipated [to be] finalized in the very near future. There will also be the planned signing of MOUs by Philippine local government units and their Singapore private sector partners, a collaboration of a Philippine national government agency and the Singaporean private sector, and business-to-business [agreement],” he added.
Shanmugaratnam said the Philippines and Singapore are “making fine progress” in their discussions. He said he is also looking forward to future collaborations between the two countries, including trade and investment discussions that he would have during his visit to Manila.
RULE OF LAW
Shanmugaratnam affirmed Singapore’s support for the observance of the rule of law and sustaining of freedom of navigation and flight especially in the South China Sea.
He called for the peaceful resolution of maritime disputes in accordance with international laws including the United Nations Convention of the Law of the Sea (UNCOS).
“The South China Sea is an extremely important issue. Singapore’s position of course is well known. We consistently upheld the rights of all states to freedom of navigation and overflight and strongly supported the peaceful resolution of disputes in accordance with international law including the 1982 UN Convention of the law of the sea or UNCLOS. That’s fundamental. UNCLOS has to be the legal framework within which all the activities in the oceans and seas are carried out,” he said.
Marcos, when he participated in the IISS Shangri-La Dialogue held in Singapore in May, reiterated the observance of the rule of law and affirmed the Philippines’ commitment to address and manage difficult issues through dialogue and diplomacy.
Shanmugaratnam arrived in the Philippines yesterday for a three-day state visit, his second visit to an ASEAN country. He visited Brunei early this year.
Before proceeding to Malacañang, Shanmugaratnam offered a wreath at Dr. Jose Rizal’s monument in Luneta.
In Malacañang, Marcos and First Lady Louise Araneta-Marcos welcomed Shanmugaratnam and his spouse, Jane Ittogi Shanmugaratnam.
Among those who were present were Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo, Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, Environment Secretary Maria Antonia Yulo-Loyzaga, Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac, Communications Secretary Cheloy Velicaria-Garafil, Health Secretary Ted Herbosa, and Philippine Ambassador to Singapore Medardo Antonio Macaraig.
