Your Excellency Ambassador Peter Beckingham, Excellencies of the Diplomatic Corps, esteemed colleagues, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen:

On behalf of Her Excellency President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, the Philippine Government and the Filipino people, I am pleased to extend my sincere felicitations to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on the occasion of her 83rd birth anniversary.

Queen Elizabeth has always been a unifying force for the British people. The Queen’s long reign, for 57 years now, has seen the evolution of the modern Commonwealth of Nations.  On 06 February 1952, she became Queen of the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Pakistan, and Ceylon (now Sri Lanka). As you know, the British occupied Manila for two years (1762-1764) as a result of the Seven Years War among the major European powers. Had British forces stayed longer here, I believe the Philippines today would have also been part of the Commonwealth of Nations. I am aware that in just a few years time, by 10 September 2015, Queen Elizabeth will become the longest reigning monarch in British history, overtaking the reign of Queen Victoria (63 years and 7 months).

With her unique charisma, caring benevolence and deep sense of religious and civic duty, Her Majesty ushered the United Kingdom to a time of hope, a period of progress and achievement heralding a "new Elizabethan age".

We deeply appreciate the instrumental role Her Majesty and the Royal Family have played in enhancing the cordial relations between the Philippines and the United Kingdom through our exchanges of high-level visits and personal contacts.

In December 2007, President Arroyo, as a guest of the British Government, was warmly welcomed and received by Her Majesty the Queen at Buckingham Palace during her visit to London.

A few weeks ago (08 April 2009), British Prime Minister Gordon Brown wrote President Arroyo to share his views on Myanmar. In his letter, he requested the President to use the Philippines' influence in ASEAN to call for a genuine transition to democracy in Myanmar. The President shared the view of Prime Minister Brown that releasing Suu Kyi results in "tremendous goodwill for Myanmar from the international community".

President Arroyo met with Myanmar Prime Minister Thein Sein on April 10 at the 14th ASEAN Summit in Pattaya and urged Myanmar anew to release political prisoner, Aung San Suu Kyi, once her current detention order expires in May. According to the President, such release is an important gesture towards Myanmar's national reconciliation efforts.

Just last month, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair visited the Philippines and met with President Arroyo to discuss peace in Southern Philippines. During that meeting, Mr. Blair shared his experiences with the peace negotiations in Northern Ireland. The Philippines is happy to learn from Britain's experiences and hopes that these lessons will allow us to finally reach a negotiated solution to a lasting peace in Mindanao. I have also met with British Foreign Secretary David Milliband at the 7th Asia-Europe (ASEM-7) Summit in China last October, and I invited him to visit the Philippines.  During that meeting we discussed the prospects of having an annual High-Level Dialogue (HLD) between our governments to guide the future growth of RP-UK relations. Of course, the Prince of Wales, the Duke of York, the Princess Royal and the Duke of Gloucester have already visited the Philippines in recent years.

With Her Majesty’s active support, we continue to build upon the strong bonds that link our peoples as we actively promote co-operation and understanding between our countries. The Philippines looks forward to more high-level exchanges of visits in the future. The Philippines and the United Kingdom enjoy close and substantive bilateral relations in several key areas of mutual concern such as counterterrorism, human rights, economic reform, the environment, development, conflict prevention and peace building.

The United Kingdom continues to be a major trading partner and key investor in the country. On the other hand, the Philippines hosts some 200 British companies and offers them the best business environment that merited the “2007 Offshoring Destination of the Year” award from the United Kingdom’s National Outsourcing Association. Major British companies operating in country include Shell, HSBC, BG, Standard Chartered, Misys, and Unilever. A number of British companies are also involved in successful franchising operations in the country, including Debenhams, M & S, Top Shop, Burberry, Clarks shoes and Lush. UK engineering and construction firms Balfour Beatty and Cleveland Bridge are responsible for building numerous bridges across the country, and the longest bridge in Legazpi City, under the President’s Bridge Program. The Philippines’ business process outsourcing sector also witnessed the entry of UK’s largest engineering design consultancy firm, ATKINS, when it formally opened its Philippine office last year. The country’s BPO sector continues to be an attractive sector for British investors.

British tourists are among the largest number of European travelers to the Philippines, with more than 80,000 visiting the country and experiencing first-hand the warmth of our people and the different sights, sounds and flavors of the rich Filipino culture.  We are profoundly appreciative to the British government and people for the hospitality they accord to almost 200,000 Filipinos who reside and work in your country today. Indeed, our people-to-people contacts are strong.

At the regional and multilateral levels, the Philippines and the United Kingdom support each other in their pursuit of global peace, security, justice and fraternal understanding. Truly, since the establishment of diplomatic ties in
July 4, 1946 (for almost 63 years now), RP-UK relations has augured well with the three pillars of Philippine foreign policy–- the promotion and enhancement of our national security, the promotion and attainment of economic security, and the protection of the welfare and interests of Filipinos overseas. In all these, the United Kingdom has always been supportive.

As we move forward in further strengthening our collaborative efforts, the Philippines reaffirms its steadfast commitment to continue working in partnership with the United Kingdom at all levels and on all fronts to help bring greater peace and progress to our countries, our region and the rest of the world.

Let me end with an English proverb: "The best things in life are free", which means that we don't have to pay for the things that are really valuable, like love, good health and friendship. Then as now, the strong camaraderie between our countries and peoples remains priceless.

On this note, I invite your Excellencies to join me in a toast to the continued good health and success of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, the continued progress and prosperity of the United Kingdom and its people, and the enduring friendship and cooperation between the Philippines and the United Kingdom.

Mabuhay!