Estrada makes first foreign trip to Singapore

Estrada makes first foreign trip to Singapore

SINGAPORE (Agencies): Philippine President Joseph Estrada arrived in Singapore on Sunday on his first state visit abroad since taking power 15 weeks ago.

In keeping with his "man of the masses" appeal, Estrada's first scheduled event upon arrival was a meeting with Filipino workers.

"I bring to you today the message and prayers of a grateful nation," Estrada told a cheering crowd of some 4,000 Filipinos. "Your loved ones at home thank you for your contributions that you have made in helping improve their lives."

Estrada defended his supposedly poor command of English, arguing that it was "high-nosed" English speakers that brought about Asia's current economic turmoil.

"I know I have a difficult time speaking English," Estrada said in the Philippine Tagalog language. "But the people who speak English are the ones who brought our economy down, so beware of people with high noses," he warned, drawing laughter and applause from the mostly Filipino audience.

Estrada said the remittances of Filipino overseas' incomes could "easily match foreign investments entering the country" and have "saved our economy".

The Philippine central bank said last month overseas workers were projected to send more than $6 billion back home this year, up from $5.7 billion in 1997.

The Philippines has an estimated four to six million workers overseas and Singapore employs some 110,000 Filipino workers. Businessmen at home and abroad have expressed dismay at Estrada, a former movie actor, for what they said were confusing policy statements since he took office on June 30.

The four-day visit will give the international business community and Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) leaders a chance to get a better idea of what Estrada stands for and of his diplomatic skills.

"What foreign investors want is clear policy direction," Bruce Gale, regional manager in Singapore of the Hong Kong-based Political and Economic Risk Consultancy Ltd (PERC), told Reuters.

PERC's latest survey rating found Estrada had difficulty in establishing a reputation as a credible leader.

During his visit, Estrada has scheduled talks with Singapore President Ong Teng Cheong and Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong. He will also be the key figure, besides Goh, speaking at the 7th East Asia Economic Summit.

The three-day event sponsored by the World Economic Forum will be attended by over 700 heads of corporations, top economists and policy makers from Europe, the United States and Asia, to brainstorm solutions for the Asian economic crisis.

Outside the conference and his bilaterals with Singapore leaders, Estrada is scheduled to have an informal four-hour meeting with Indonesian President B.J. Habibie on the nearby Indonesian island of Batam on Oct. 13.

He will make a courtesy call on Vietnam Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Nguyen Manh Cam, in Singapore for the Economic Summit.

Meeting with leaders of his ASEAN neighbors will give the outspoken Estrada an opportunity to renew bilateral ties, after his comments last week on Malaysia sparked off a diplomatic row over the arrest of Malaysia's former Deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.