Manila: Ferdinand Marcos Jr., President of the Republic of the Philippines, welcomed the UAE government delegation during their official visit to Manila, the capital of the Philippines. The two governments jointly organized the Government Experience Exchange Forum aimed at promoting effective partnerships and expanding cooperation in sharing experiences, best practices, and innovative approaches to government modernization.
According to Emirates News Agency, the President of the Philippines expressed his gratitude to the UAE for their continuous support. He acknowledged the UAE as a true partner in building smarter, future-ready governments and emphasized the importance of cooperation and experience sharing to drive positive change for the people. The UAE delegation included Abdulla Nasser Lootah, Assistant Minister of Cabinet Affairs for Competitiveness and Experience Exchange; Mohamed Obaid Salem, UAE Ambassador to the Philippines; and members of the Government Experience Exchange Office at the Ministry of Cabinet Affairs.
Mohammad Abdullah Al Gergawi, Minister of Cabinet Affairs, highlighted the importance of promoting government knowledge and enhancing readiness for the future through international cooperation models focused on experience exchange. He noted that this approach strengthens international relations and empowers governments and societies to shape a better future for the next generations.
The First Lady of the Republic of the Philippines, Louise Araneta Marcos, praised the productive cooperation between the two governments across fields, including government experience exchange. She commended the joint efforts in designing and implementing initiatives that empower government leaders, youth, and women in the Philippines. During her meeting with the UAE delegation, she stated that the visit reflects the deep historical ties between the two countries and embodies their shared visions to develop and empower human resources, enhance performance, and contribute to promoting social wellbeing.
The Government Experience Exchange Forum, organized in Manila, served as a strategic initiative to promote positive partnerships and enrich cooperation in experience-sharing. The event focused on developing innovative ideas and solutions to accelerate the achievement of the Philippines' national priorities and embodied the directives of the UAE leadership to bolster bilateral partnerships by exchanging expertise, enhancing government work and performance, and developing institutional excellence practices.
The Forum was attended by Louise Araneta Marcos, First Lady of the Philippines; Amenah Pangandaman, Secretary of the Department of Budget and Management; Henry R. Aguda, Secretary of the Department of Information and Communications Technology; Rosemarie G. Edillon, Undersecretary at the National Economic and Development Authority; and Michael Aguinaldo, Chairperson of the Philippine Competition Commission. The UAE delegation included senior officials from the Prime Minister's Office at the Ministry of Cabinet Affairs, including Mohammed Al Taher, Director of Strategy and Policy Department; Fahad AlSuwaidi, Advisor on Government Performance and Excellence; and Amer Abdulraouf, Executive Director of Special Projects at the Dubai Future Foundation.
Lootah emphasized that the Forum marks a new phase in the journey of cooperation in the field of government experience. He stressed the importance of cooperation in government modernization, highlighting the need to keep pace with global changes through experience-sharing platforms and joint activities to ensure continuous government performance development and positive change.
The UAE-Philippines Government Experience Exchange Forum featured presentations on accelerating the implementation of the Philippines' national priorities, innovative models tailored to each stage of development, leading practices, and the successful outcomes of the strategic government partnership between the two nations. Discussions covered strategic pillars such as strategy and innovation, government performance and excellence, competitiveness and statistics, government services, artificial intelligence, and future foresight.
The Forum also featured interactive dialogue sessions between UAE and Philippine government officials, showcasing key inspiring experiences and pioneering practices in government modernization and development. The partnership under the Government Experience Exchange Programme, launched in February 2025, focuses on government modernization, performance enhancement, and institutional innovation, with the objective of exchanging expertise and knowledge in key areas such as government activity improvement, joint efforts to advance governance practices, institutional capacity-building, leadership development, public budget and expenditure management, knowledge management for government services, and innovation.