Day 2: Official Visit of Rt. Hon. Christopher Luxon, Prime Minister of New Zealand 4/19/2024

April 19, 2024
New Zealand Prime Minister Right Honorable Christopher Luxon conducts a series of meetings as his Official Visit to the Philippines continues on April 19, 2024.
For his first schedule, the Prime Minister holds a business breakfast in Makati City where New Zealand and Philippine companies gathered to explore opportunities for collaborations. New Zealand sees the Philippines as an emerging market for its exporters, set for expanded trade and investment.
According to Stats NZ, New Zealand’s official data agency, the total value of exports to the Philippines from New Zealand is at NZ$989 million, while the value of imports to New Zealand from the Philippines is at NZ$391 million in December 2023. The Philippines is New Zealand’s 23rd largest trading partner, with NZ$1.4 billion total bilateral trade recorded in the same period.
During the event, Prime Minister Luxon sits in with Mr. Paulo Garcia, New Zealand’s first Filipino Member of Parliament, for a fireside chat discussing New Zealand’s trade mission in the Philippines, and the strengthening relations between the two nations. Signing ceremonies also take place, highlighting a series of undertakings between New Zealand companies and the Philippines, including two (2) local government units (LGUs).
Following this activity, the Prime Minister pays a visit at the Ayala Corporation also in Makati City. As New Zealand envisions to double its exports in the next 10 years, it remains steadfast in forging more business partnerships in the Southeast Asian region. Prime Minister Luxon expresses the country’s interest to collaborate with Ayala Corporation, one of the biggest conglomerates in the Philippines.
By noon time, he graces a lunch meeting hosted by Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri, together with the Members of the Senate of the Philippines.
In his final stop, Prime Minister Luxon proceeds to meet with the management of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) at the ADB Headquarters in Mandaluyong City. His meeting with the ADB executives is aimed at exploring regional opportunities and partnership between the Government of New Zealand and the ADB.
New Zealand commits US$25 million for the ADB’s Energy Transition Mechanism Partnership Trust Fund (ETMPTF) to support the shift towards clean and sustainable energy in Southeast Asia. Apart from this, an agreement is signed between the Plant Food Research (PFR) and ADB Southeast Asia Department (SERD), witnessed by the Prime Minister and Department of Agriculture (DA) Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr.
Also in attendance during the event is Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA) Director General Secretary Ernesto Perez.
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