Kalayaan Grounds, Malacañan Palace
April 27, 2017

President Rodrigo Roa Duterte welcomed His Majesty Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam, and other members of the Brunei delegation with an official welcome ceremony at the Kalayaan Grounds in Malacañan Palace.

After a 21-gun salute to honor the Head of State of Brunei Darussalam, President Duterte invited Sultan Bolkiah to inspect the honor guards and to enter the Malacañan Palace where the Sultan signed the guestbook upon the President’s invitation.

Afterwards, both leaders and their delegation gathered at the Aguinaldo State Dining Room for an expanded bilateral meeting between the Philippines and Brunei Darussalam.

“Your majesty’s presence is proof of the enduring ties and special friendship enjoyed by our nations and peoples. Your majesty is the first ASEAN Head of State to visit the Philippines under my administration, and this to me, imbues our meeting today with great significance,” said the President in his opening statement during the said meeting.

He added, “We are eager to bring this partnership to a whole new level and we hold this meeting against the historic backdrop of ASEAN Summit…”

On the other hand, Sultan Bolkiah’s opening statement gave notice to the rapid economic and commercial development in the Philippines, and showed the Sultan’s admiration for President Duterte’s drive for an inclusive growth in the country.

*  *  *