Aquino's trip to Davos, Switzerland an opportunity to re-showcase

President Benigno S. Aquino III's upcoming trip to Davos, Switzerland to attend the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting from Jan 23 to 26 will also provide him an opportunity to "re-showcase" the Philippines as a revitalized and re-emerging site for investments," Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said Monday.

In a press briefing in Malacañang, Lacierda said that that the "180-degree change in governance" the President was able to achieve by implementing government reforms has greatly improved the image of the Philippines from being the "Sick Man of Asia" to becoming a "haven for business opportunities."

"So the primary purpose of the Davos visit is to re-showcase the Philippines – what the Philippines has been doing; what President Aquino has been doing insofar as reforms that are being undertaken and why the Philippine economy has gone to where it is right now," Lacierda said.

"There's so much that the Philippines can offer to the international community. The strength of our economy is one proof that good governance is working. The root of our progress right now is that the international community has seen a 180-degree change in governance," he added.

He expressed confidence the President will able to entice potential investors to take a look at the Philippines as their new investment locale as "the international community is seeing the business (in the Philippines) as a level field and they're interested to invest in the Philippines."

"Look, the Philippines is under new management so if the CEOs are convinced – and I'm sure they will be convinced that the Philippines is under new management – they will order their business units to invest in the Philippines or to look in, to explore economic opportunities in the Philippines," Lacierda said.

"(The WEF in) Davos is primarily a meeting of CEOs where ideas are shared and so it's where the CEOs will be briefed personally by the President of what the Philippines is doing and it's up to the CEOs to see and to believe that the Philippines is indeed a haven for business opportunities," he added. (PNA)