Malacañan Palace
9 January 2014

President Benigno S. Aquino III received visiting Norwegian Foreign Minister H.E. Borge Brende in a courtesy call in Malacañang.

As part of his three-day official trip to the country, Minister Brende visited super typhoon Yolanda-hit areas of Tacloban in Leyte and Basey in Samar on January 9 where he announced an additional $8 million aid from the Kingdom of Norway for the rehabilitation of the affected areas. The country now has a total of $43 million aid to the Philippines making it the third largest foreign donor next to the United States of America and United Kingdom.

In Samar, Minister Brende also distributed sacks of rice seedlings to the farmers from Barangays Canabay, Tingib and San Antonio.

Together with Minister Brende during the call are Norwegian Ambassador to the Philippines Knut Solem, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) Director General Tore Hattrem, and MOFA Assistant Directors General Gunn Jorid Roset and Tone Allers.

In the Philippines side are Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert Del Rosario, Transportation and Communications Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya, Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Secretary Teresita Deles, Presidential Assistant Panfilo Lacson, Philippine Ambassador to Norway H.E. Bayani Mercado and Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary Maria Zenaida Angara.

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