In a speech before the Filipino community which she delivered partly in Spanish, the President said the Spanish government and business companies are all praises for the Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) and in fact, prefer them over other nationalities in employment opportunities.

"Kung noon kilala ang talento ng Pilipino, kilala pa rin ngayon ang talento ng mga Pilipino dito. Dahil kilala ang inyong talento, madaling makapasok sa Espanya," the President said.

Fresh from a brief stopover in Lourdes, France, Mrs. Arroyo arrived in Madrid at 4 p.m. Sunday (11 pm Sunday in Manila) for a four-day state visit upon the invitation of King Juan Carlos I and Queen Sofia.

From Madrid, the President will travel on Wednesday to the United Kingdom for an official visit.

In her remarks at some 700 Filipinos gathered at the La Salle Colegio Nuestra Señora de las Maravilas, the President announced that Andalucia intends to hire 300 Filipino seasonal farmers upon the invitation of the Mayor of Almonte.

The crowd broke into laughter as the President shared a joke of administration Senator Edgardo Angara that Filipino workers should be ugly so Spanish men will not marry them. Angara was among the members of the official delegation on stage with the President.

"Nagbibiro siya yung ipapadala yung mga hindi maganda kasi kung maganda raw hindi na uuwi dahil liligawan na ng mga Kastila dito. Kasi napakacharming ang mga Filipinos dito sa Espanya," Mrs. Arroyo said.

"Kaya lang sabi ni Ed, wala naman pangit sa Aurora kaya dadating dito magaganda pa rin," a giggling President added.

Apart from more farm workers, the President said the Grupo Los Nogales will also open additional 80 jobs for nurses and caregivers next year.

She noted that the Spanish Ministry of Labor was impressed by the pilot project of hiring 120 Filipino nurses and caregivers last year that they intend to expand the program in the coming months.

In Bilbao, at least 50 Filipino caregivers will be hired by Pais Vasco in the first quarter of 2008.

"Gustong-gusto ng pamahalaang Kastila na ituloy ang programa at gustong palawakin pa para kumuha ng higit na caregivers at nurses dito sa Espanya," the President said.

Another Spanish firm, Tecnicas Reunidas, will hire 50 Filipino design engineers and accountants for a profitable design project somewhere in the Middle East, according to Mrs. Arroyo.

The President thanked anew the OFWs for their sacrifice, dedication to work, family and the nation, adding she also welcomes their remittances that help keep the economy afloat.

At present, there are some 50,000 Filipinos living and working Spain, according to Philippine Ambassador Joseph Bernardo.

"We are happy to see first hand how you our kababayans have integrated so well into the Spanish community. You have contributed many positive benefits to your host country. You have earned the respect and affection of the Spanish people," Mrs. Arroyo said.

At present, some 8 million OFWs send as much as $ 13 billion to their families in the Philippines.

Appearing well-rested and in good mood, the President cracked a joke, spoke in English, spoke tough against destabilizers back home, and thanked OFWs for their contributions to the nation all in one night.

Prior to her arrival at the venue of the event, Bacolod City Monico Puentevella entertained the Filipinos with two ballads, earning loud applauses for his rendition of "Ikaw’ and "This is the Moment."

Minutes later, the President and the official party stepped into the hall and instantly became a target of Filipinos wanting to take their pictures.

From the Filipino community event, the President had a private dinner at Restaurante Principe de Viana before retiring the night.

****

RP expects soft loans from Spanish gov’t

Genalyn D. Kabiling

MADRID (via PLDT) -- After recently running into trouble with the financing scheme of the World Bank, the Philippines is expected to get a number of soft loans from the Kingdom of Spain for construction of roads, railways, ports, renewable energy facilities, among others.

Philippine Ambassador to Spain Joseph Bernardo said the Spanish government is interested to provide loans for infrastructure development in its former colony in the next few months.

"At present, the Spanish government is also interested in financing projects through soft loans in the following areas: renewable energy (particularly wind and solar power) and transport (especially train and LRT)," he said.

Bernardo said the government of Spain recently extended a US$ 22 million loan facility to the Aboitiz Group and the Spanish company Socoin for a power project in Davao province.

Additional funds would be released for the construction of 96 steel bridges worth US$ 30 million, 70 modular roll-on, roll-off ports in the Philippines worth US$ 150 million, and a solar energy project amounting to US$ 26 million for areas in the Visayas and Mindanao, Bernardo added.

The loans extended by the Spanish government came a few weeks after the World Bank suspended loan deliberations for a Philippine national road project due to alleged bid rigging in the first phase of the project.

The President is expected to finalize the loan requests from Spain during her four-day state visit here, that includes meetings with King Juan Carlos I and Queen Sofia, Spanish President and Prime Minister Jose Luis Zapatero, and other legislators.

Bernardo said the President is expected to forge closer cooperation with the Spanish government in key areas such as defense, tourism, renewable energy, infrastructure, agriculture and fisheries in her visit here, the first state visit of a Philippine leader in 45 years.

Employment opportunities in health and engineering sectors would also be opened, he said

The President is expected to unveil the two-year "Plan España" during her address before a Spanish-Filipino business forum Tuesday morning.

The Plan España is a comprehensive work plan including projects between Manila and Madrid from 2008-2010.

"Since the main thrust of the Philippines is the promotion of bilateral trade and to attract more Spanish investment, it is crucial to identify those projects in the key sectors mentioned above where Spanish companies could participate," Bernardo explained.

He noted that Spain is looking at eastern European countries as possible investment sites. He added that the Philippines must therefore be pro-active in luring Spanish companies and investors to put up businesses in the Philippines as a base for the Asia-Pacific market.

In the last five years, total trade between the Philippines and Spain grew by an average 10%.

From 2002 to 2006, balance of trade has always been in favor of Spain, according to Bernardo.

In 2006, however, Philippine exports to Spain increased by 27% to US$ 87 million from US$ 68 million in 2005. Philippine principal exports to Spain consist of crude coconut oil, imitation jewelry, portland cement, cement clinker and parts and accessories of machine. Imports from Spain are mainly pharmaceutical products, parts and accessories of transmission and radio receivers, sausage and ham casings and other food products.

At present, the Spanish companies present in the Philippines are Acciona, Mapfre, CAF, Zara, Laboratios Calier, Perfumeria Espanola, Iber Pacific, Soluziona and Ibero Asistencia.

He said the Philippine International Trade Company in Madrid has received many inquiries and project proposals from various Spanish companies and enterprises about business and investment opportunities in the Philippines.

"We hope to sustain this momentum in the coming months. Little by little, we will see a significant increase in the volume of trade and investment between the Philippines and Spain in the next few years through the efforts of the Embassy and the PTIC," Bernardo said.