VP NOLI MEETS IRAQ’S MINISTER OF CONSTRUCTION AND HOUSING
January 29, 2009

Vice President and concurrent Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC) chairman Noli ‘Kabayan’ De Castro met with Her Excellency Bayan Mohammed, Minister of Construction and Housing and Head of the Iraqi delegation to the 6th RP-Iraq Joint Commission Meeting recently (22 January).

During the meeting, De Castro reiterated the Philippines’ commitment to support the redevelopment of Iraq. He announced that the Philippines is willing to send a team to Iraq to evaluate the situation there and see how we can participate in the reconstruction efforts of the Iraqi government.

At the meeting, the Iraqi Delegation mentioned that Iraq will require a big number of workers (both skilled and unskilled) for its construction and infrastructure projects, medical and allied services, as well as in the industry and agriculture and science and technology sectors.

De Castro expressed interest in pursuing cooperation agreements on housing to address the 2.5 million housing requirements of Iraq. “We welcome prospects that would expand the opportunities for our workers and private developers and contractors,” De Castro said

The Vice President also talked about the Accreditation of Innovative Technologies for Housing (AITECH) Committee, which accredits producers and inventors of new housing and building technologies and assists them in securing acceptance of their products and systems in the market.

“This is part of our continuing effort to develop the housing sector,” De Castro stressed. “We are promoting the use of non-traditional or alternative and indigenous materials that are environment-friendly and adaptable to any weather condition,” he added.

“I hope that the 6th RP-Iraq Joint Commission Meeting would enable a productive exchange of views and eventually result to cooperation agreements between the Philippines and Iraq along the areas of housing, labor, science and technology, health and agriculture.

As Presidential Adviser on Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs), De Castro assured the delegation that the Philippines will lift the travel ban on the deployment of Filipino workers to Iraq as soon as the working condition is guaranteed safe and secure for our Filipino nationals.

De Castro also mentioned that the Department of Foreign Affairs is considering the reopening of the Philippine Embassy in Baghdad in view of the current positive developments in Iraq and is exploring the possible acquisition of a property as the site of the Philippine Chancery in Baghdad.

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