Obama to Phl: We stand with you

MANILA, Philippines - US President Barack Obama has affirmed his nation’s support for the Philippines weeks after the devastation caused by Super Typhoon Yolanda in the Visayas.

“My message to the Philippines and to our allies and partners across the Asia-Pacific is that we stand with you,” Obama said in a video message played during a youth summit in Makati City yesterday.

“As you move forward, you will always have a friend and partner in the United States of America,” he added.

Obama thanked the Philippine government and its people for welcoming the participants to the summit “even if they continue to respond to last month’s terrible typhoon.”

“In recent weeks we’ve seen our Filipino friends and partners from across the region and the United States join together to rescue victims, care for the injured and the homeless, and begin to rebuild. Because when our friends are in trouble, we help.”

US Ambassador to ASEAN David Carden, who attended the summit, had a similar message, adding that Washington is committed to supporting the Philippines in developing its future leaders.

“We are obviously deeply invested in what happens here,” Carden told a small group of journalists.

The summit, participated in by 150 delegates from the Association of Southeast Asian Nation (ASEAN), aims to bring together young leaders to form a network and promote a stronger region.

ASEAN trip in April

In his message, Obama announced his return to the region in April next year.

He missed the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Indonesia last October due to the government shutdown.

The American president also pledged to help in attaining prosperity and peace in the Asia-Pacific region.

“Prosperity and peace in the Asia Pacific means more opportunity for all of us, including the United States. And I will make sure we’re building that future together,” he said.

According to Obama, the US government will soon start the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative to “join with extraordinary men and women like you on the things you care about most.”

“We’ll help you strengthen the kinds of networks you’re building… We’ll give more young people an opportunity to pursuing quality education in your countries, including in science and technology, and to study in America,” he said.

LEAD summit

The three-day summit, called the Link, Engage, Activate, Develop (LEAD) ASEAN Youth Summit, was organized by the Ayala Foundation and the US embassy in Manila.

It brought together alumni of US government international exchange programs or of the Ayala Young Leaders Congress. Sixty participants were from the Philippines. Ten delegates came from each the nine other ASEAN countries.

The delegates are expected to join Yolanda relief efforts this week by participating in the packing of relief goods.

Carden, Ayala Corp. chairman and chief executive officer Jaime Zobel de Ayala and Susan Stevenson of the US Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs delivered the welcome remarks.

US Ambassador Philip Goldberg is expected to deliver closing remarks on Thursday. Speakers at the summit include Ramon Magsaysay awardees Lahpai Seng Raw, Tru Mumpuni and Antonio Oposa.

Simultaneous workshops will be conducted by Kickstart Ventures Inc., World Wide Fund for Nature, Teach Peace Build Peace Foundation, Center for Excellence in Public Elementary Education, Gawad Kalinga, Philippine Business for the Environment, Rappler and Asia Society. (The author is a delegate to the summit.)