The president of the Philippines and his entire economic team courted foreign investors yesterday at the start of a two-day conference organised by FinanceAsia and aimed at attracting foreign investment through public-private partnerships.
“Welcome to the daylight summit,” said President Benigno Aquino, as he addressed delegates in a ballroom at the Manila Marriott hotel, “where things are not done in the dark.” Aquino and his economic team were clearly keen to push home a message of change that sought to distance this administration from the problems of the past.
“It is not business as usual in the Republic of the Philippines,” said Florencio Abad, budget and management secretary, who announced a commitment...