Channel NewsAsia: How would you describe the Singapore-Philippines relationship and what is next to come?
Minister: It is an excellent relationship. First, at the leadership level, we are looking forward to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. arriving in Singapore on 31 May 2024. He will be delivering the keynote address for the Shangri-La Dialogue. Over the years, there has always been close conversations and alignment of strategic interests between the leaders of the Philippines and of Singapore.
At the people-to-people level, there is a very, very strong bond. So many Filipinos live, work, and study in Singapore. There is a deep reservoir of goodwill, of trust, of gratitude on the part of Singaporeans towards our Filipino friends and colleagues. They have made a profound difference to our society. At the people-to-people level, we are very, very close.
At the business level, the Philippines represents a large, young, dynamic country in ASEAN. In the years to come, I expect to see a further acceleration of their economic growth. In fact, in the past couple of decades, the Philippines has been able to show consistent, steady economic growth. But I think it is now on a threshold where it can do far more.
In terms of business interests, on both sides, mutually there is significant interest. For instance, Singapore has been one of the largest foreign investors in the Philippines for the last couple of years and I expect that trend to continue. If you think in terms of household names, you have got Singapore companies, BreadTalk, Tung Lok, Tiong Bahru Chicken Rice, Love, Bonito, here in the Philippines and doing well.
On the other side, you have also got Filipino household names. Sumifru, Jollibee, and you have also got companies like Aboitiz, which is focusing on AI and data science and has established a unit in Singapore, which is doing good work. For the future, we are also interested in carbon credits. We are working with the Philippines so that they will be able to establish a carbon credit market, which will be consistent with Article Six of the Paris Agreement. This will provide new opportunities as the Philippines also transforms its economy to a more green and renewable form of economy.
We are also interested in working with the Philippines on renewable energy and the ASEAN Power Grid. There are many new and emerging areas, including smart cities. Yesterday we went to New Clark City. You know the area around the former Clark Air Base is a huge greenfield site, half the size of Singapore, on which they have been able to imagine and to start developing many economic sectors for the future. It is a very exciting place. As is already evident from now, we went to the new Clark International Airport. I could not help noticing very familiar features. Anyone who has been to Changi Airport and now goes to Clark International Airport will recognise the similarities and no surprise, because the Changi Airport Group is also involved.
The other interesting company we visited - a highlight of my visit yesterday - was to SIA Engineering, Philippines. Again, it represents a step change in the type of services and economic activities in the Philippines. In particular, this company is focused on what we call MRO- maintenance, repair, and overhaul of an aircraft. But beyond just the services, the commitment of this company in providing training opportunities for the local workforce in Philippines, and the fact that graduates from these training programmes are in demand all over the world also illustrates the special role Singapore can play in helping to elevate service standards, to break new ground in new industries and, equally important, to elevate the pool of skilled talent available to the Philippines.
All in all, I am optimistic. We are building on 55 years of very close diplomatic relations. We are ready to harvest the economic opportunities that the Philippines is on the threshold of exploiting at a grand scale. At the people-to-people level and at the company-to-company corporate level, all these accounts are doing very, very well. So that is why I conclude that our relations are excellent and much more to look forward to in the future.
Business Times: The flow of goods, services and investments between Singapore and the Philippines has been and continues to be robust. In your interactions with the local business community, what are some new markets in Singapore that Philippine businesses are interested to enter? What are some barriers for them in doing so? How will Singapore address these challenges and attract more investments from the Philippines?
Minister: As I said earlier, there are many opportunities in the economic transformation because of the need to go green, sustainable, and then there are new frontiers on the digital side, especially in artificial intelligence. In the case of the Philippines, because of its large geographical size, young, large population, and people who are hungry and willing to learn, there is much more that can be pursued. I gave you examples - in aviation, logistics, tourism. There is a lot of potential still waiting to be tapped in the Philippines. So there is a very fertile ground. Even going yesterday to the former Clark Air Base – it is literally space, green field space, ready for the imagination of the Filipino planners and execution of these projects. And to the extent that Singapore can play a role, perhaps in master planning, in training, in helping network and connect Filipino companies with opportunities globally. I think that is a very good niche and a role in which we can help in the transformation of the Philippine economy.
Channel NewsAsia: With the threat of terrorism in the region potentially higher due to the Israel-Hamas war, what is key in Singapore-Philippines ties to help keep the region safe?
Minister: The Philippines and Singapore have always enjoyed a very close and constructive relationship – on defence, on counterterrorism, on security and intelligence - so I would expect all those interconnects and that cooperation to continue, in fact to deepen in the years ahead. We do live in a troubled world. And unfortunately, terrorism remains a clear and present threat, and it is one that goes across borders. We need more, and not less, of such cooperation and effective mechanisms for intelligence-sharing and for counterterrorism. It works because there is a long history of trust, and that ability, therefore, to work effectively across boundaries to deal with cross-border threats.
Minister: On this trip, I have been asked quite a few questions about the leadership transition and about the contributions of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, both domestically as well as internationally. I thought this would be a good opportunity for me to say a few words. It has been a rare, once in a lifetime opportunity to work with a man who is a superpower intellectually, erudite, wide interests, always curious, and yet disciplined, data driven, focused on facts & logic. And yet, beyond that, ultimately, driven by a very powerful sense of duty, of mission, and compassion. So, for me, it has been an incredible journey and like all other Singaporeans, I want to say a big thank you to Prime Minister Lee and I look forward to his contributions in this new phase.
Internationally, I should also say that Prime Minister Lee has continued to fly the flag of Singapore very high. I have been present at almost all his meetings with leaders. I have always been struck by how much people wanted to listen, to pick his brains, to glean advice from his wisdom and his experience. Prime Minister Lee and his reputation has opened so many doors for us. It has given us opportunities on the international stage. It has given us credibility, and his style of conducting foreign policy on the basis of realism, consistency, constructiveness, goodwill and trust. All these have been calling cards, defining attributes of our foreign policy.
We have been very blessed to have a man like Prime Minister Lee lead us, represent us, and his role not only as a leader domestically, but as a respected statesman on the international stage.
Thank you.
. . . . .
*Please note that the transcript has been edited.