Tuesday, March 3, 2009

Great Speeches: Early Harves Program

From the Author: This is my earliest speech given in a forum where I was also the emcee, making this a truly memorable creation of my mind.

MY WARMEST GREETINGS TO ALL OF YOU!

ON BEHALF OF THE PHILIPPINE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY (PCCI), I WOULD LIKE TO WELCOME EVERYONE TO THE FORUM ON THE EARLY HARVEST PROGRAM. THIS PROGRAM WAS SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED TO ACCELERATE THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE CHINA-ASEAN ECONOMIC COOPERATION FRAMEWORK AND IT EMPOWERS THE PHILIPPINE ECONOMY TO OPEN-UP AND DIVERSIFY ONE OF ITS MOST IMPORTANT SECTORS: AGRICULTURE.

THE LEADERS OF THE ASEAN COUNTRIES AND CHINA HAVE AGREED TO ESTABLISH A FREE TRADE AREA BY 2010 AND ACCORDING TO THE PRESENT DAY STATISTICS THE ASEAN-CHINA FTA WILL COVER MORE THAN 1.7 BILLION CONSUMERS AND WILL GENERATE A TOTAL GDP OF TWO TRILLION DOLLARS. THE EARLY HARVEST PROGRAM IS JUST ONE OF THE PROGRAMS UNDER THE ASEAN-CHINA FTA AND BY SIGNING THIS FREE-TRADE AGREEMENT, THE ASEAN COUNTRIES, INCLUDING THE PHILIPPINES, CAN SUCCESSFULLY TAKE ADVANTAGE OF WHAT THIS PROGRAM HAS TO OFFER. THE EARLY HARVEST PROGRAM NOT ONLY REDUCES TARIFFS OF CERTAIN AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS BUT IT ALSO ALLOWS THE ASEAN COUNTRIES, SPECIFICALLY THE PHILIPPINES, TO ACCESS THE IMMENSE DOMESTIC MARKET OF CHINA.


THROUGH THIS FORUM, MORE DETAILS ABOUT THE EARLY HARVEST PROGRAM WILL BE SHARED. THE EFFECTS OF THIS PROGRAM AND ITS IMPLICATIONS ON TRADE WILL BE FULLY KNOWN.

I WELCOME ALL OF YOU TO THIS PROMINENT EVENT. THIS FORUM IS INDEED VERY SIGNIFICANT TO US AND TO ALL THE ASEAN COUNTRIES FOR IT HIGHLIGHTS THE IMPORTANCE OF TRADE, INVESTMENT AND COOPERATION. IT IS TIME TO RECOGNIZE THE POTENTIAL OF OUR AGRICULTURE INDUSTRY AND MAKE IT MORE COMPETITIVE IN THE INTERNATIONAL WORLD. I WISH THE PARTICIPANTS ALL THE BEST AND I THANK USEC. SERRANO AND HIS TEAM FOR GRACING THIS EVENT. I HOPE THAT THIS FORUM SERVES AS A VEHICLE FOR ALL OF US TO UNITE AND TO CREATE A RENEWED AND REVITALIZED AGRICULTURAL SECTOR IN THE PHILIPPINES.

THANK YOU AND MABUHAY TAYONG LAHAT!

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