Philippine Media Praise Outcomes of Visit of HH the Amir to the Philippines

_:Manila, Philippine media praised the outcomes of HH the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani's state visit to the Republic of the Philippines, considering it an important occasion to intensify cooperation and deepen standing bilateral relations. The Philippine media noted the nine agreements signed between the two countries, aimed at enhancing trade and investment as well as countering global challenges such as climate change and human trafficking, underscoring the statement of HH the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani on the Philippine community's contribution to the Qatari economy. In its news article titled "Philippines, Qatar mark stronger ties, ink 9 deals.", the Manila Bulletin praised the signing of the agreements, through which both states deepen their 43-year old ties. The newspaper reported that during their bilateral meeting, the President of the Republic of the Philippines Ferdinand Marcos Jr. expressed his confidence that his discussions with HH the Amir will translate into stronger cooper ation in areas of common interest. The Manila Bulletin cited the President as saying, "I look forward to a fruitful and productive meeting with you today, with the hope that our discussion will open opportunities to improve and strengthen our bilateral relations at every level - at the commercial level, at the government-to-government level, at the people-to-people level," adding, "This is our aspiration and I think that if we come to if we are agreed that this is the way to go, there is much potential that we can take advantage of." On the other hand, the newspaper also cited HH the Amir commenting on the first visit to the Philippines by saying,"We aspire to improve these relations to increase communication between the two countries," adding, "I just had a fruitful discussion with His Excellency, the President... on common interests that will contribute to developing our relations in different fields." HH the Amir stressed that the Philippines is an important partner for Qatar in many fields, particularly in commerce and economic cooperation, with His Highness praising the Philippine community's role in developing Qatar. The newspaper reported the Philippine Presidential Palace of Malacanang describing the visit by saying, "Marks the first state visit of Qatar's Amir to the Philippines in over a decade, serves as a testament to the flourishing bilateral relations." As for the Philippine newspaper Politiko, its coverage was titled "Amir Lauds Pinoys For Contribution To Qatars Economy." which quotes HH the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani addressing President Marcos Jr. by saying, "This is my pleasure to take this opportunity to praise the Filipino community residing in the State of Qatar and their effective contribution to the development, progress in our country." The newspaper elaborated that Qatar is home to more than 20,000 Filipinos, who in 2022, sent USD 895.33 million in remittance to the Philippines. Philstar's article, on the other hand, was titled "President Marcos, Qatar Amir meet today to tack le bilateral ties." in which the newspaper highlighted a statement issued by the Philippine embassy in Doha regarding the visit saying, "Such a high-level visit is a strong indication of flourishing relations between our two countries. It also provides an excellent opportunity for the two sides to have a personal exchange of views on bilateral issues and foster greater engagement arising from a shared sense of responsibility as regional and global actors." Philippine news site GMA News said in its article "Amir of Qatar arrives in Palace to meet Marcos" that during the bilateral meeting, President of the Republic of the Philippines Ferdinand Marcos Jr. expressed his happiness at welcoming HH the Amir to the Philippines and commented, ''We are honored for the inclusion of the Philippines in Your Highness visit to this part of Asia this April.'' The President added, ''With the Philippines and Qatar sharing 43 years of deep friendship and cooperation, I am certain that our discussions today will translate to str onger collaboration in common fields of interests.'' As for the Inquirer, its article was titled "PH and Qatar to sign agreements as part of Amirs state visit." in which it said that Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. welcomed HH the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani to the Palace with arrival honors, and in the attendance of top government officials from the Philippines and Qatar. Source: Qatar News Agency