Manila, Philippines — An integral part of President Aquino’s itinerary when he visits the United States on September 20-26 will be business meetings with the CEOs and key executives of major American corporations in New York and San Francisco, including corporate leaders of Coach, Luen Thai, IBM, JP Morgan, Sutherland, Automatic Data Processing, and Hewlett-Packard.

This was announced by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) as it pointed out that Aquino will seize the opportunities presented by his US trip to achieve the government’s priorities to attract investors, create jobs at home, alleviate poverty, and modernize the country’s infrastructure.

Aquino will also meet with members of the Filipino-American community in New York and in San Francisco to "enlist their active involvement in realizing the Aquino government’s national agenda for the Filipino people."

There are today an estimated 2.84 million Filipinos in the US, according to the Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO), accounting for 34 percent of total overseas Filipinos and for 42 percent of remittances to the Philippines.

“In San Francisco, he will have a roundtable discussion with Filipinos who have gained success in the US in the fields of science, technology, and engineering (ST&E) and request them to come home and help build the country,” the DFA said.

In recognition of his extraordinary service as a public official, the College of Mount Saint Vincent in New York will confer on Aquino the college’s highest honor -- the Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Medal.

This institution offers the Aquino scholarship which was created in honor of one of its distinguished alumni, former President Corazon C. Aquino, mother of the incumbent President.

The school's Department of Modern Languages will soon set up a Filipino Studies program.

Likewise, upon the invitation of the Council of Foreign Relations, a leading US think-tank on international affairs, Aquino will deliver a speech on Philippines-US relations and on the Philippines’ perspectives on major international and regional issues before an estimated audience of 300 people.

The Council’s board of directors includes such luminaries as former Secretaries of State Madeleine Albright and Colin Powell.

But the highlight of the President’s visit is his address to the 65th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on September 24. The UNGA is a gathering of over 150 Heads of State/Government in New York and reaffirms the Philippine Government’s commitment to the UN Charter and its principles.

President Aquino will also meet with United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

“The theme of 65th UNGA, 'Reaffirming the Central Role of the United Nations in Global Governance,' is fully aligned with President Aquino’s platform of institutionalizing good governance and combating poverty,” the DFA said.

On the same day, the President will be coordinator for the second Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-US Leaders Meeting in New York. The Philippines currently serves as Country Coordinator for ASEAN-US Dialogue relations for the period 2009-2012.

During the ASEAN-US Leaders Meeting, after the opening remarks of the co-chairs Vietnam and the United States, President Aquino will lead the discussions.

As Country Coordinator, the Philippines has a mandate to broaden and deepen the spheres of cooperation between the countries of Southeast

Asia and the United States, particularly the implementation of the outcome of the Leaders’ Meetings, the directives of Foreign Ministers issued during the annual Post-Ministerial Conference session with the United States, and the Plan of Action to Implement ASEAN-US Enhanced Partnership.

The meeting will also be an opportunity for President Aquino to meet the Heads of State of ASEAN and United States President Barack Obama.

While in New York, President Aquino will also attend the signing of the $434-million Millennium Challenge Compact agreement between the Philippine government and the US Millennium Challenge Corp. (MCC). This funding assistance will be channeled to the Aquino administration programs on poverty reduction, revenue generation and infrastructure development.

The President’s visit to the US will culminate in a gala dinner of the Philippine Development Forum, formerly known as the Ayala Foundation-USA, where he will deliver a keynote speech.

The President and his delegation will leave San Francisco on Sept. 26 and are scheduled to arrive in Manila on Sept. 28.