Singapore , June 15 (AseanAll) — Vice President and Secretary of Education of the Republic of the Philippines Sara Zimmerman Duterte paid a working visit to Singapore on June 13-14, 2023.
According to Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, this is Philippine Vice President Duterte’s first working visit to Singapore. The frequent exchanges of visits between Singapore and Philippine leaders underscore the longstanding and multi-faceted friendship between both countries.
On June 13, Sara Duterte met Singapore Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Vivian Balakrishnan . They discussed the progress made in advancing the strong bilateral relationship between both countries and the excellent prospects for the economic growth of the Philippines, underpinned by a young and well educated population. They also discussed regional developments.
Photo source: Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs
On June 14, Duterte called on Singapore President Halimah Yacob and Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong at the Istana.
Photo source: Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Halimah and Duterte reaffirmed the warm and longstanding friendship between Singapore and the Philippines, which is anchored by people-to-people ties and robust cooperation across various fields. They noted that next year would mark the 55th anniversary of Singapore-Philippine diplomatic relations, and expressed hope that bilateral cooperation would be elevated to new heights, as both countries celebrate this milestone anniversary.
Photo source: President of Singapore's official website
During their meeting, Lee and Duterte took stock of the strong bilateral relationship. They discussed ways to deepen cooperation in areas of mutual interest, including education and healthcare. Lee expressed appreciation for the invaluable contributions of the Filipino community in Singapore to our society and economy.
Photo source: Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Duterte also had a meeting with Singapore Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office, Second Minister for Foreign Affairs and Second Minister for Education Dr Mohamad Maliki Osman, where they discussed bilateral education cooperation in areas such as teachers training and special needs education, and increasing student exchanges. They also discussed matters pertaining to the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization.
