News update 110 foreign dignitaries to attend Aquino inaugural

MANILA, Philippines - In what could be seen as a sign of support for the new administration, 85 countries and international organizations will send representatives to attend the inaugural of President-elect Benigno Aquino III and Vice President-elect Jejomar Binay on June 30, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said.

Of these, 21 countries will send high-level delegations, composed of either the head of state or high-ranking government officials.

All in all, 110 foreign dignitaries will attend the inauguration, according to the DFA.

“We have a sizeable foreign delegation attending,” DFA spokesperson Atty. Ed Malaya said in a press briefing on Tuesday, a day before the inauguration. “We’re happy with the kind of interest and level of representation we have received.”

Malaya could not say, however, if this is the largest foreign delegation in a Philippine inauguration ever.

Some of the delegates who have already arrived in the Philippines are Cambodian Information Minister Kieu Kanharith and Timor Leste President Jose Ramos-Horta, the only head of state who will attend the inaugural. Other delegations are expected to arrive on Tuesday.

The following are the countries with high-level delegations:

Australia - Julie Owens, member of parliament

Brunei - Pehin Orang Kaya Pekerma Dewa Dato Seri Setia Awang Lim Jock Seng, second minister of foreign affairs and trade

Cambodia - Khieru Kantarith, minister of information

Canada - Jim Abbott, member of parliament

China - Yan Junqi, vice chairprson of National People’s Congress and 11 others

Holy See - Osvaldo Padilla, titular archbishop of Pia, Apostolic Nuncio Korea and 2 others

Indonesia - Dr. H.R. Agung Laksono, coordinating minister for people’s wefare and 7 others

Japan - Osamo Fujimura, state secretary for foreign affairs and 11 others

Korea - Kim Hwang-Sik, chairman of Board of Audit and Inspection (rank of deputy prime minister) and 5 others

Laos - Souban Srithirath, chief of cabinet and 1 other

Malaysia - Sen, Dato’ Sri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil, minister of women, family, and community development

New Zealand - John Hayes, member of parliament and chairman of foreign affairs and trade select committee

Organization of the Islamic Conference - Samir Diab, assistant secretary general

Peru - Jorge Casteneda Mendez, Peru’s AEP to Indonesia

Saudi Arabia - Dr. Nizar bin Abaid Madani, minister of state of the foreign affairs

Singapore - George Young-Boon Yeo, foreign minister

Spain - Enrique Mugica, defensor del pueblo and 2 others

Thailand - Ongart Klampaiboon, minister in Prime Minister’s Dept.

Timor Leste - Jose Ramos-Horta, president and 8 others

United States - Ron Kirk, trade representative and 1 other

Vietnam - Vu Huy Hoang, minister of industry and trade

Meanwhile, some of the international organizations that will send representatives to the inauguration are the United Nations, Food and Agricultural Organization, International Committee of the Red Cross, International Labor Organization, International Monetary Fund, International Organization for Migrations, UN Children’s Fund, UN Development Programme, UN High Commission for Refugees, UN World Food Programme, World Bank, and World Health Organization.

DFA Chief of Protocol Eduardo Pablo Maglaya said only the head of each delegation will be seated at the main section of the Qurinio Grandstand, along with the president and vice president, their families and friends, and cabinet secretaries.

In the evening, the foreign dignitaries will attend the presidential reception at Malacanan Palace.

Maglaya also said some countries have already set meetings with Aquino the day after the inauguration.

Maglaya said the DFA hopes foreign attendance at the inauguration would signal better Philippines ties with other countries.