MANILA – Filipino and Jordanian businesses are expected to sign $10 million worth of deals during President Rodrigo Duterte’s visit to Jordan, a Cabinet official said.
Trade and Industry secretary Ramon Lopez told GMA News Online that the deals could generate over 200 jobs for Filipinos.
Lopez did not say the fields and nature of the possible agreements.
Duterte was scheduled to arrive in the Jordanian capital of Amman on Wednesday afternoon (evening in Manila) after his four-day tour in Israel, the first by a Philippine leader since diplomatic relations were established in 1957.
His Sept. 5 to 8 visit to Jordan is the first by a Filipino president since the two countries established ties in 1976.
The President met with Jordan’s King Abdullah II and attended a business forum on Thursday. He will cap his visit with a meet and greet with the Filipino community on Friday before he leaves for Davao City on Saturday.
Duterte’s trip to Israel netted 21 business deals worth $82.9 million that could generate 790 jobs in areas such as shipping, information technology, arms manufacturing, tourism development and food distribution.
In his speech at a business forum in Jerusalem on Tuesday, Duterte assured Israeli businessmen of a corruption-free business environment in the Philippines.
“I’m going to make it simpler [the rules in doing business] when I go back. And I want it really to be graft-free,” Duterte said.
He also vowed to help Israeli businessmen if government officials and employees attempted to extort money from them.
“Just remember the official with whom you are transacting. You name him, I will call him, and in front of me I will say to you, ‘Slap him.’ ‘Slap him twice on both cheeks,’ because he is insulting you. He is insulting your character and for me, he puts my country to shame,” Duterte said. (GMA News)
