Mel Velasco Velarde’s Speech at the Indo-Pacific Business Forum in Tokyo, Japan, January 12, 2023

Good morning, honorable guests, fellow delegates, ladies and gentlemen.
I would like to acknowledge the presence of:
  • United States Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken;
  • Secretary of Commerce Gina M. Raimondo;
  • Minister of Foreign Affairs Yoshimasa Hayashi;
  • Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Yasutoshi Nishimura;
  • US Ambassador Rahm Emanuel;
  • U.S. Trade and Development Agency Director Enoh T. Ebong;
We salute with deep gratitude the governments of the United States of America and Japan, together with 12 other significant governments, for mobilizing governments and the private sector in the name of inclusive and sustainable growth in the Indo-Pacific region.
We share the aspirations of our counterparts in India who believe that 5G or quality connectivity is not for the wealthy alone but for all. NOW Telecom envisions building the widest and most secure 5G network in the Philippines and connecting all the cities and towns through a national broadband network using fiber optic, terrestrial, satellite, and other means.
We share the aspirations of our counterparts in India who believe that 5G or quality connectivity is not for the wealthy alone but for all.  Like much of the Indo-Pacific, many Filipino populations remain unconnected, if not insufficiently connected.
Thus, we accept with much honor the United States government’s USTDA grant for the 5G pilot network deployment in Metro Manila simultaneous to the production of comprehensive studies for nationwide, countrywide deployment.
We hope the learnings of this Philippine experience, in partnership with the U.S., may serve as a springboard for larger-scale Indo Pacific deployments to help bring about social and financial mobility, reduce inequality, improve health and education, and spur economic growth. We look forward to forging more partnerships under the auspices of the Indo-Pacific economic forum. I thank you.

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