Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel F. Piñol Pays a Courtesy Call on Papua New Guinea Prime Minister

PH Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel F. Piñol presents high-value Philippine rice products to PNG Agriculture and Livestock Secretary Dr. Vele Pat Ila’ava.

14 March 2018 PORT MORESBY – During his recent visit to Port Moresby, Philippine Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel F. Piñol paid a courtesy call on Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea, His Excellency Peter O’Neill, CMG, MP, on March 08.

Prime Minister O’Neill stated that some of the 35,000 Filipinos in Papua New Guinea have been in the country for long years, a testament to the strong friendship between the Philippines and Papua New Guinea.

The meeting focused on the Memorandum of Agreement on Agricultural Cooperation between the Philippines and Papua New Guinea, finalized earlier that day.

Prime Minister O’Neill conveyed strong support for the said Agreement and urged all concerned parties to identify the areas for rice farming soon.

Secretary Piñol, who is the highest Philippine Government official to visit Papua New Guinea, also offered to assist Papua New Guinea’s coconut processing industry, which mainly produces and exports copra. “There is big opportunity in the processing of coconut water, sugar, virgin oil, pit and coir”, he expressed to Prime Minister O’Neill.

According to the Prime Minister, “It is important for Papua New Guinea to learn from a country like Philippines, including its agricultural methods.”

Secretary Piñol noted that the finalized agricultural cooperation is the fulfillment of President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s commitment during his meeting with Prime Minister O’Neill on the sidelines of APEC meetings in Viet Nam in November last year. He further said that President Duterte would be happy to host Prime Minister O’Neill in the Philippines either end of April or in May.

Also present during the meeting were Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (DA-BFAR) Undersecretary Eduardo B. Gongona, Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Assistant Secretary Millicent Cruz-Paredes, Philippine Ambassador to Papua New Guinea Bienvenido V. Tejano, and some private sector representatives. END

For more information, visit www.portmoresbype.dfa.gov.ph.

PH and PNG government officials and private sector representatives pose for a photo after bilateral discussions on the Memorandum of Agreement on Agricultural Cooperation between the Philippines and Papua New Guinea.

Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel F. Piñol calls on PNG Prime Minister, His Excellency Peter O’Neill, CMG, MP. Present in this photo are Mr. Henry Lim Bong Liong, PNG Finance Minister James Marape, MP, Ambassador Bienvenido V. Tejano, Undersecretary Eduardo B. Gongona, Assistant Secretary Millicent Cruz-Paredes, and Mr. Jomerito Soliman.

PNG Prime Minister Peter O’Neill, CMG, MP and PH Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel F. Piñol pose for a photo.

From left: DFA Assistant Secretary Millicent Cruz-Paredes, DA-BFAR Undersecretary Eduardo B. Gongona, SL Agritech Corp. Chairperson Mr. Henry Lim Bon Liong, PNG Prime Minister Excellency Peter O’Neill, CMG, MP, DA Secretary Emmanuel F. Piñol, PNG Finance Minister James Marape, Purefeeds Corp. President Mr. Jomerito Soliman, Ambassador Bienvenido V. Tejano