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Manila: President Gloria Arroyo arrived in Hong Kong on Sunday for a three-day visit that is also aimed at strengthening ties between Filipino and Chinese business groups.
"President Arroyo will be showcasing the Philippines as a valued investor destination in the Asia-Pacific region," a statement issued by the president's palace in Manila said.
"Our trip to Hong Kong is dedicated to meeting with our strong overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) contingent in Hong Kong and to meet with business leaders to encourage them to continue to make strong investments in the Philippines," the statement quoted the president as saying.
But the president's presence is expected to also be met with protest by militant Filipino workers' groups based in the Special Administrative Region.
Rally
Militant groups have urged Filipinos in Hong Kong to join a protest rally that will be held near the hotel where Arroyo will be staying during her visit.
The "Gloria Step Down Movement" said it expected around 2,000 people to join the demonstration against the Philippine leader, who is being accused of abetting corruption of certain government officials, particularly those involved in lucrative contracts with Chinese state-run firms.
For her part, Arroyo said the objective of her visit to Hong Kong was to bring in more investments into the Philippines through tie-ups between Filipino and Hong Kong business groups.
"Our trip to Hong Kong is another action we are taking to continue to bolster our economy through more investments and to confer with vital business and government leaders," Arroyo said.
Arroyo had also been initially scheduled to meet with Donald Tsang, chief executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, but for some reason, the meeting was cancelled.
Instead, Arroyo will be meeting Sir Gordon Wu of Hopewell Holdings.
Hopewell, according to the palace in Manila, is "one of the premier group of companies in Hong Kong with diverse business interests spread across property investment and development, highway infrastructure, hotel and hospitality, and construction businesses".
One of the main events of Arroyo's visit is her address at the 11th Asian Investment Conference organised by Credit Suisse at the Conrad Hotel today.
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