PRESIDENT Benigno S. Aquino III arrived on Saturday from a European voyage to France, Italy and the Vatican City that the Palace described as “successful.”
Aquino attended the United Nations Climate Change Forum in Paris before proceeding to Rome for a meeting with Italian President Sergio Mattarella and Prime Minister Matteo Renzi before a side trip to the Vatican where he had a private audience with Pope Francis.
President Aquino also attended the unveiling and blessing of the mosaic image of Our Lady of Peñafrancia at the Vatican Gardens
President Aquino noted the good outcome of the climate change forum attended by 147 world leaders and his meetings with business leaders in France.
President Aquino also toured the 1,500-square-meter facility of Usine IO, a membership-based workshop in Paris dedicated to hardware technologies and startup assistance.
The facility serves as an innovation and hardware prototyping platform or launchpad for hardware products like furniture, healthcare, and robotics.
During his meeting with Italian President Mattarella and Prime Minister Renzi, Aquino said the two officials support to the Mindanao peace process as well as the Philippine government’s position to solve the West Philippine Sea dispute.
The President said the Italian leaders expressed admiration to the Filipinos working in various sectors in Italy.
Aquino said that during his audience with Pope Francis, he assured the pope that the Filipino people love him so much.
After delivering his arrival speech at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, Aquino witnessed the turnover of aircraft documents by the respective manufacturers to Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin and to Philippine Air Force commanding general, Lt. Gen. Jeffrey Delgado.
During the ceremony, Aquino poured champagne on the nose of the new air assets, which include two FA-50PH lead-in fighter jets, one C-295 medium lift aircraft, and six AgustaWestland AW-109E attack helicopters.
In his message, PAF chief Lt. General Delgado said the new acquisitions are part of the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ modernization program.
The two FA-50PH lead-in fighter jets are the first of the 12 fighter jets bought from the Korea Aerospace Industries Ltd. The two aircraft arrived from South Korea last week. The 10 fighter jets are expected to be delivered by 2017.
The FA-50PH lead-in fighter jets, Delgado said, shall be employed to secure our land, airspace, and maritime territory, including the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of the Philippines.
“It can also be used for surveillance and reconnaissance missions, as well as air interdiction and close air support missions,” the PAF chief said.
The latest C-295 medium lift aircraft is the second delivery from Airbus Defence and Space. The first aircraft arrived last March while the third delivery is expected to arrive before the year ends.
“With the acquisition of three MLA, the airlift requirement of the AFP could be addressed by having an additional aircraft dedicated to operate in any combat support, territorial defense and disaster response missions of the AFP as well as providing support to national development,” he said.
Meanwhile, the six AW-109E attack helicopters complete the eight-helicopter deal with AgustaWestland of Italy. The first two AW-109E attack choppers were delivered and accepted last August.
Delgado said these AW-109E attack choppers are projected to augment the dwindling number of MD-520MG, the primary attack helicopter of the Philippine Air Force.
“All these are good indications that we are steady on our course towards realizing our vision of a professional and competent Air Force responsive to national security and development as embodied in our Flight Plan 2028,” he said.