[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2001, Book II)]
[November 20, 2001]
[Pages 1434-1436]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



Joint Statement Between the United States of America and the Republic of 
the Philippines
November 20, 2001

    President George W. Bush and President Gloria Macapagal-
Arroyo today reaffirmed the strength 
and warmth of bilateral relations and commemorated the 50th anniversary 
of the signing of the U.S.-Philippine Mutual Defense Treaty. While 
celebrating the achievements of half a century of defense cooperation, 
the two Presidents agreed that the alliance remains vital to both 
nations, particularly in the wake of the September 11 attacks.
    President Bush conveyed his deep appreciation for President 
Macapagal-Arroyo's leadership in the 
fight against terror, both within the southern Philippines and against 
international terrorist networks. He specifically noted with 
appreciation Philippine offers of logistical and other support to the 
coalition, as well as President Arroyo's efforts to forge a regional 
ASEAN approach to combating terror. President Bush also welcomed passage 
of new anti-money laundering legislation as a concrete step in the 
global effort against terrorism, and offered to provide technical 
assistance to help the Philippines effectively implement the new law. 
Emphasizing U.S. support for a strong, united ASEAN, President Bush 
further offered all appropriate assistance to help ASEAN improve its 
capacity to combat transnational threats, including terrorism and the 
illegal narcotics trade.
    The two Presidents agreed that 
the war against terrorism should be fought in parallel with the war 
against poverty, and that the most effective and least-costly anti-
poverty bilateral cooperation measure would be to work together to open 
markets worldwide. The two Presidents, therefore, resolved to work 
closely to expand trade bilaterally, regionally and globally, 
particularly in the context of the Doha Development Agenda. President 
Bush agreed to work with the United States Congress to provide the 
Philippines over $1 billion in Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) 
benefits. He also noted that the growth rate of quotas of U.S. imports 
of textiles and apparel from the Philippines would increase by 27 
percent beginning in January 2002, in accordance with U.S. commitments 
to the WTO. The two leaders directed their Trade Ministers to 
reinvigorate and convene the U.S.-Philippine Trade and Investment 
Council within the first half of 2002.
    Some long-standing issues are being resolved even before these 
missions, including approval of Philippine mangos for export to the 
United States. USDA and the Philippine Department of Agriculture further 
signed a Memorandum of Agreement on November 19 to renew and expand 
activities involving wide-ranging scientific, technological, and 
agribusiness cooperation. USDA will make available guarantee programs of 
$150 million for U.S. agricultural exports and equipment to the 
Philippines that support the modernization of Philippine agriculture and 
fisheries. Arrangements are also being made to provide up to $40 million 
in PL-480 food aid for fiscal year 2002, subject to budget allocations.
    President Macapagal-Arroyo 
emphasized her government's commitment to fight poverty, accelerate 
economic reform, enhance

[[Page 1435]]

transparency and promote good governance. In support of these 
objectives, President Bush announced that in addition to assistance for 
Mindanao, he is seeking $29 million from Congress in fiscal year 2002 
monies to support poverty alleviation, economic growth, and anti-
corruption efforts throughout the Philippines. As an expression of 
confidence in President Macapagal-Arroyo's strong leadership on economic 
reform, President Bush further announced that the Overseas Private 
Investment Corporation (OPIC) will extend a special line of credit of 
$200 million, building on its current substantial portfolio commitments 
for private sector investment in the Philippines, including in the 
housing sector. The two Presidents agreed to work to increase American 
investment in the Philippines, considering the close partnership between 
their countries.
    The two Presidents affirmed 
their shared commitment to protecting the environment, pledging to 
continue the environmental activities, including technical cooperation, 
under the July 2000 Joint Statement of Cooperation on Environment and 
Public Health. President Bush also informed President Macapagal-Arroyo 
that the Philippines has been declared eligible to participate in debt 
treatment programs under the U.S. Tropical Forest Conservation Act 
(TFCA) of 1998. TFCA provides for the cancellation of a portion of 
concessional debt owed to the United States (which, in the case of the 
Philippines, currently totals approximately $430 million) in exchange 
for a commitment to make local currency payments to support domestic 
forest conservation activities.
    The two Presidents discussed the situation in the southern 
Philippines, where separatist conflict and armed insurgency have raged 
for decades. President Bush and President Macapagal-Arroyo expressed deep concern for the safety of 
Philippine and American hostages held by the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) in 
the southern Philippines and called for their immediate and 
unconditional release. The two leaders reaffirmed their commitment to 
secure the safe return of all hostages and to put an end to the 
terrorist acts committed by the ASG.
    They discussed the recent trip 
to the Philippines by a U.S. counterterrorism assistance team, which 
assessed the capabilities and needs of the Armed Forces of the 
Philippines (AFP) in their campaign against the ASG. The two leaders 
affirmed that they would continue to work on a vigorous, integrated plan 
to strengthen the Philippine security forces' capacity to combat terror 
and protect Philippine sovereignty. Such an integrated plan would 
include a robust training package, equipment needed for increased 
mobility, a maintenance program to enhance overall capabilities, 
specific targeted law enforcement and counterterrorism cooperation, and 
a new bilateral defense consultative mechanism. As a preliminary step to 
enhance Philippine military modernization, President Bush pledged to 
work with the Congress for at least a ten-fold increase in Foreign 
Military Financing (FMF), from $1.9 million to $19 million for fiscal 
year 2002, and to sustain heightened assistance levels in fiscal year 
2003. He further announced his intent to provide an additional $10 
million in Department of Defense goods and/or services to assist the 
Armed Forces of the Philippines and another $10 million to support 
counterterrorism and law enforcement assistance. In total, security 
assistance from the Bush Administration to the Macapagal-Arroyo 
Administration, offered and/or delivered, is expected to be worth nearly 
$100 million for fiscal years 2001-2002.
    While pledging military cooperation to end the terrorist activities 
of the ASG, both leaders agreed that sustainable peace in Mindanao in 
the southern Philippines requires addressing Mindanao's root economic 
and social problems. President Bush praised President Macapagal-
Arroyo's decision to pursue a 
political path to peace with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) 
and welcomed the recent cease-

[[Page 1436]]

fire signed between the MILF and the Government of the Philippines. To 
help consolidate the peace and to promote economic and social 
development in Muslim communities, President Bush announced that he is 
working with the United States Congress to more than double U.S. 
assistance to Mindanao with a fiscal year 2002 package worth over $38 
million. Combined with fiscal year 2001 assistance, the United States 
will provide over $55 million to Mindanao.
    This Mindanao Assistance Package will provide direct support for the 
nascent peace process by integrating the ex-combatants and their 
communities into the peacetime economy; creating an environment in 
Mindanao that is attractive for investment, job creation and economic 
progress; and providing improved public services in Mindanao, especially 
in the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao. This package will also 
include $825,000 in new educational and cultural exchanges, including a 
number of Fulbright scholarship grants, specifically targeted at 
Mindanao's Muslim community. This represents an almost 90 percent 
increase in educational exchange programming for Mindanao. The President 
further committed to work with Congress and other donors to secure 
additional resources for Mindanao, as the peace process moves forward in 
the years ahead.
    To complement this assistance, the U.S. Trade and Development Agency 
(TDA) is taking a pro-active approach to encourage the U.S. private 
sector's involvement in Mindanao's infrastructure development. Both 
Presidents welcome TDA's signing of 
a $302,500 grant agreement to plan the development of a commercially 
sustainable solar-powered irrigation system for rural farming 
communities and look forward to future TDA projects that will further 
promote sustainable development for the people of Mindanao. President 
Bush expressed condolences for the victims of the severe typhoon that 
hit the Mindanao region earlier this month and noted that the United 
States contributed $100,000 in disaster relief assistance to help 
affected families. To help better prepare for, and respond to, future 
disasters, the two leaders welcomed the signing of a U.S.-Philippine 
protocol of intentions on cooperation on disaster prevention and 
management.
    The meeting between President Bush and President Macapagal-
Arroyo was characterized by unusual 
warmth and candor and heralded a new era of comprehensive cooperation 
and friendship between the United States and the Philippines.

Note: An original was not available for verification of the content of 
this joint statement.