With more than $670mn in committed investments from Qatar and Saudi Arabia, President Rodrigo R Duterte has assured Qatari investors that the Philippine government “will honour” its contracts and obligations with foreign countries.
Duterte made the statement during an investment forum organised by the Qatar Chamber at the Four Seasons Hotel. 
The Philippine president’s state visit to Qatar was the last leg of his trip to the Gulf.
Speaking to Gulf Times on the sidelines of the event, Philippine Economic Zone Authority (Peza) director general Charito B Plaza said the Philippine government is bringing home $206mn worth of committed investments from Qatar and $469.34mn from Saudi Arabia in various fields.
“What I can say is that we will honour contracts. We will honour our obligations because that is in our constitution – that there shall be no impairment of the obligation of contracts. 
“As far as trade is concerned, I can assure you that what will be signed and agreed upon with you will be honoured,” said Duterte, who addressed members of the chamber led by vice chairman Mohamed bin Towar al-Kuwari.
Citing the ongoing peace negotiations with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), Duterte assured Qatari investors that “the Philippines today is fundamentally peaceful.”
He also assured investors of the government’s ongoing campaign against graft and corruption. “What pulled my country down all these years was corruption…I will not allow corruption. I will stop corruption. I will suppress graft. And I will do away with criminality,” he stressed.
As an agricultural country, Duterte said the Philippines could also address Qatar’s food security needs.
“The Philippines is big enough to accommodate any kind of vegetation…the Philippines is an agricultural country; we know that we can offer you so many things from the bounties of the earth. We also have mining and we are rich in ore, uranium, and marine resources from the South China Sea,” he pointed out.
In a welcome speech, al-Kuwari said relations between Qatar and the Philippines “are characterised by convergence of views on many international issues, and are going in the right direction towards highest stages at all levels in common interests, which serves as the peoples of the two countries.”
He noted that trade volume between the two countries stood at QR218mn in 2016, adding that with over 200 Filipino companies operating in Qatar “in many fields,” the Philippines is Qatar’s 26th trade partner.

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