Asia:NZ visit to the Philippines

During a recent trip to Manila, Asia New Zealand Foundation chair Philip Burdon and chief executive Dr Richard Grant met with a number of Philippines leaders including President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

Both Mr Burdon and Dr Grant were in the Philippines on 25-26 February to develop education, Track 2, media, cultural and business contacts and to meet with key Philippines political, business and academic leaders. Their visit was reported in the Manila Standard and Business World newspapers.

The foundation’s programmes enable scholarships, seminars, internships, educational support, special events and exchanges, Track 2 unofficial diplomacy, in-house and commissioned research - all designed to equip New Zealanders with first-hand experience of Asia and to forge valuable links to the region.

Accompanying the visiting Asia New Zealand Foundation members were New Zealand’s Ambassador to the Philippines, Andrew Matheson, and the foundation’s honorary adviser in the Philippines and the country’s former foreign secretary, Roberto R Romulo.

Last year, the foundation established an annual internship for young New Zealand graduate journalists at the Philippine Star newspaper. The first New Zealander to work at the Star was University of Canterbury journalism graduate Rachel Williamson. Later this year, an AUT University journalism graduate will have the opportunity to gain work experience under the same programme.

Mr Burdon and Mr Grant’s visit to Manila was part of a wider travel schedule that included a meeting in Singapore with Asia New Zealand Foundation’s honorary advisers network. The honorary advisers represent an important human resource to the foundation in its activities to facilitate closer links between New Zealand and Asia.

Photo credit: Manila Standard