President Obama on Cuba

Yesterday, after more than 50 years, we began to change America's relationship with the people of Cuba.
We are recognizing the struggle and sacrifice of the Cuban people, both in the U.S. and in Cuba, and ending an outdated approach that has failed to advance U.S. interests for decades. In doing so, we will begin to normalize relations between our two countries.
I was born in 1961, just over two years after Fidel Castro took power in Cuba, and just as the U.S. severed diplomatic relations with that country.
Our complicated relationship with this nation played out over the course of my lifetime -- against the backdrop of the Cold War, with our steadfast opposition to communism in the foreground. Year after year, an ideological and economic barrier hardened between us.
That previous approach failed to promote change, and it's failed to empower or engage the Cuban people. It's time to cut loose the shackles of the past and reach for a new and better future with this country.
I want you to know exactly what our new approach will mean.
First, I have instructed Secretary of State John Kerry to immediately begin discussions with Cuba to re-establish diplomatic relations that have been severed since 1961. Going forward, we will re-establish an embassy in Havana, and high-ranking officials will once again visit Cuba.
Second, I have also instructed Secretary Kerry to review Cuba's designation as a State Sponsor of Terrorism -- a review guided by the facts and the law. At a time when we are focused on threats from ISIL and al Qaeda, a nation that meets our conditions and renounces terrorism should not face such a sanction.
Third, we'll take steps to increase travel, commerce, and the flow of information to -- and from -- Cuba. These steps will make it easier for Americans to travel to Cuba. They will make it easier for Americans to conduct authorized trade with Cuba, including exports of food, medicine, and medical products to Cuba. And they will facilitate increased telecommunications connections between our two countries: American businesses will be able to sell goods that enable Cubans to communicate with the United States and other countries.
Learn more about the steps we're taking to change our policy.
These changes don't constitute a reward or a concession to Cuba. We are making them because it will spur change among the people of Cuba, and that is our main objective.
Change is hard -- especially so when we carry the heavy weight of history on our shoulders.
Our country is cutting that burden loose to reach for a better future.
Thank you,
President Barack Obama

Diplomat Jim Patterson: "Investing the Philippines is Smart Business Decision."

PRESS RELEASE
WDC-045-2015
30 June 2015
WASHINGTON, DC—Recent developments and policy changes in Information Technology and Business Process Management (IT/BPM) in the Philippines are making the country ripe for investment and poising it to ride a new wave of revolution in information and communications technology (ICT).

This was the message of government officials and business leaders who traveled to San Francisco for a conference entitled “Invest in the Philippines: Asia’s Bright Spot,” the third and final leg of a high level trade and investment mission to the United States on 29 June 2015.

In his remarks, Ambassador Jose L. Cuisia, Jr. pointed out that the IT/BPM and ICT industries in the Philippines are very much alive and have been a strong driving force in the Philippine economy.
“The choice of San Francisco as the third city of this historic High Level Trade and Economic Mission to the United States is very appropriate. San Francisco, and Silicon Valley in particular, is the heartland of innovation and technology. And the importance of information and communications technology, which this city breathes and lives, is one that is not lost on the Philippines,” said Ambassador Cuisia.

The envoy added, “The first wave of the information and communications technology revolution transformed the Philippine semi-conductor industry into one of the most important segment of our economy. Today, the IT/BPM industry has been the fastest growing industry in the Philippines in the last ten years. In 2011, we overtook India to become the number one outsourcing destination for voice support. And the Philippines is second only to India as a global outsourcing destination, specifically in the areas of healthcare and software.”

However, the Philippines is still facing challenges in the IT/BPM and ICT industries. According to keynote speaker Mr. Diosdado Banatao, Managing Partner of Tallwood Venture Capital, a main challenge that remains for the country is infrastructure building in ICT, particularly the lack of internet bandwidth, which he also noted as an area of opportunity for investments.

The government is addressing these issues through legislature aimed at reforming the country, boosting economic growth, and creating an environment conducive to investment.

Senate President Franklin M. Drilon, who participated in the San Francisco Conference, shared the Congressional agenda for the last year of the Aquino administration, which is to pass the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Act in order to institutionalize reforms and best practices, amend the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Charter to strengthen its regulatory power, and approve the Customs Modernization Law to achieve trade facilitation and logistics efficiency.

According to Senator Drilon, a bill to create the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) is also on its way.

On 2 June, the Senate approved the third and final reading Senate Bill No. 2686, which mandated the creation of the DICT. The bill would effectively create the agency charged with developing, planning, and promoting the government’s ICT agenda, as well as speed up the industry’s growth and competiveness by enhancing the country’s technology linkages with ICT firms abroad. The House version is currently being debated at the committee level.

There has also been a greater emphasis on education, which is further enriching one of the biggest assets of the country, its human resource.

Secretary of Trade and Industry Gregory L. Domingo pointed out that the young Philippine workforce is only getting better due to the reforms in the educational sector such as the introduction of K-12 and doubling the budget of education.

Panelists in the conference agreed that with a strong, high-skilled and eager labor force, good political leadership, the ability to provide the required infrastructure, the Philippines has created an excellent business environment.

“It is our hope that this conference will generate not only investments in infrastructure and PPP, which are equally important to the continued success of the Philippine economic story, but also in the information and communications technology sector. Such investments from the United States will complement the Philippine Government’s investments, in the last few years, on the infrastructure, technology and human resources that underpin the growing Philippine economy,” said Ambassador Cuisia.

The Conference is the third stop of a high level trade and investment mission to the United States taking place from 24 to 29 June 2015. The delegation made a pitch in Washington, D.C. on 24 June and conducted an Economic Briefing and Investment Conference in New York on 26 June.
The Mission is an important follow-up to the Philippines-United States Memorandum of Cooperation on an Infrastructure Collaboration Platform, which was signed during the 8th Global Infrastructure Leadership Forum (GILF) held in New York in February.

The Conferences are being organized by the Philippine Embassy in Washington, D.C. and the Philippine Consulates General in New York and San Francisco, in partnership with the Center for Strategic and International Studies, the US-Philippines Society, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Investor Relations Office, as well as Citibank, Deutsche Bank, Development Bank of the Philippines, Goldman Sachs, HSBC, JP Morgan, Land Bank of the Philippines, Morgan Stanley, Standard Chartered, and UBS. ###

Jim Patterson  Diplomat
Life Member American Foreign Service Association

Diplomat Jim Patterson & Senator Dianne Feinstein on Cybersecurity

Dear Mr. Patterson:

Thank for your writing to express your concerns regarding data breaches of personal financial information.  Your correspondence is important to me, and I welcome the opportunity to respond. 

As you are aware, the financial information of certain customers held by multinational companies ranging from Target to Home Depot has been compromised by hackers, leaving some individuals susceptible to identity theft and fraud.

I understand that you believe that retailers should be required to protect consumer information more vigilantly.  I also recognize that you believe retailers should be held to the same data protection standards as financial institutions such as credit unions.

Please know that I share your concerns about the protection of personal privacy, particularly with respect to Americans' financial information.  For more than a decade, I have worked to pass legislation requiring notification to consumers after a data breach, and I have supported legislation that would better protect Americans' personal information.  In the 113th Congress, I joined Senator John Rockefeller (D-WV) in introducing the Data Security and Breach Notification Act, which would require the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to issue security standards for companies that hold consumers' personal and financial information and notify affected customers after a data breach.  Although this legislation did not pass before the 113th Congress adjourned, I remain hopeful that the Senate will be able to come together and pass meaningful consumer privacy protections.  

You may be interested to know that on February 4, 2014, the Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing called "Privacy in the Digital Age: Preventing Data Breaches and Combating Cybercrime."  For your convenience, I have included a link to the webcast here: 

http://www.judiciary.senate.gov/hearings/hearing.cfm?id=138603a26950ad873303535a6300170f

Once again, thank you for taking the time to write.  Please know that I will keep your concerns in mind should this issue come before me in the U.S. Senate.  If you have any additional questions or comments, please contact my Washington, D.C. office at (202) 224-3841.  Best regards.

Sincerely yours,


  Dianne Feinstein
         United States Senator
Further information about my position on issues of concern to California and the nation are available at my website, feinstein.senate.gov. And please visit my YouTube, Facebook and Twitter for more ways to communicate with me.

Diplomat Jim Patterson: Invest in the Philippines

PRESS RELEASE
WDC-043-2015
27 June 2015

WASHINGTON, DC—Investments in people, infrastructure and reforms have transformed the Philippines into a prime destination for foreign capital in recent years, according to Philippine Finance Secretary Cesar V. Purisima, who was one of the keynote speakers at the Economic Briefing and Investment Conference held on 26 June 2015 at Goldman Sachs in New York City.

Entitled “Invest in the Philippines: Asia’s Bright Spot,” the New York Conference underscored the significant improvements the country has made in terms of macroeconomic governance, promoting transparency, enhancing the ease of doing business, and focusing on infrastructure development. These factors, combined with a competent, hardworking and growing workforce, and a central location in an economically dynamic region, have increased the attractiveness of the Philippines in the eyes of foreign investors.

“The Philippines is not perfect, nor is it completely efficient, but to investors like you, it is an opportunity. In fact, many companies are already silently making money,” Secretary Purisima stated.
BPI Capital Corporation President Dennis Montecilloagreed with the bullish assessment, saying that there has been a noticeable shift in the demand for foreign private equity. Montecillo, who previously worked for Morgan Stanley in Hong Kong, recounted how private equity clients have now developed a keen interest in the Philippines, with some calling the Philippines their core markets, from demonstrating a very low level of interest in 2000-2007.

In addition to the Philippines acquiring investment grade in the credit ratings of S&P, Moody’s and Fitch, the country’s debt to GDP ratio is at its lowest at 45.4% in 2014, from as high as 97.7% in 1986.

Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Deputy Governor DiwaGuinigundo further substantiated the Philippines trajectory and he forecasts the debt to GDP ratio to continue its downward trajectory, anticipating a debt to GDP ratio of 0% within the next 10 years. He adds, however, that “there is no magic number with regards to any country’s debt to GDP ratio. The emphasis must be placed on the fiscal space and the government’s ability to spend in terms of investment and infrastructure.”

Philippine officials and private businesses have pointed to good governance as the main driver of economic growth. Trade and Industry Secretary Gregory L. Domingo and National Competitiveness Council Co-Chair Guillermo Luzhighlighted the Philippines’ steady rise in competitiveness rankings and assured the audience that liberalization and economic reforms will continue.

Secretary Domingo enumerated some encouraging developments, including the release of the new Foreign Investment Negative List which features fewer restrictions on foreign investments; the impending amendment of the Cabotage Law that will allow foreign vessels to make calls at multiple ports; and the European Union’s granting of GSP+ status to the Philippines, which gives about 6,000 product lines duty-free access to the European market.

He also cited the substantial growth of the IT/BPO sector, which is expected to generate US$ 25 billion in revenues in 2016 from the current amount of US$ 18 billion.

Manolito Tayag, Accenture’s Country Managing Director for the Philippines, projected that the IT/BPO sector will go up from 1 million to 1.3 million employees in 2016. He explained that the future growth of the country’s IT/BPO sector is underpinned by its moving up the value chain, including analytics; the opening of new markets in Latin America, Europe, and even within the Philippines; identifying niche industries; locating regional and global centers in Manila; and creating a new wave of BPO cities.

Upgrading the country’s infrastructure is also seen as a key to boosting productivity and tourism.
Transportation and Communication Undersecretary Rene K. Limcaoco outlined the transport development plan, and explained the key performance indicators relating to reducing transport costs by about 8.5%, and logistics costs to 15%. He noted that the Philippines’ 653-kilometer North-South Rail is currently the largest infrastructure project in the country’s history at over US$ 8 billion.

The Philippine Government has actively sought private sector participation in infrastructure development. Undersecretary Cosette V. Canilao, Executive Director of the Public-Private
Partnership (PPP) Center, informed the group that three projects worth US$ 4.24 billion are being rolled out, while six projects amounting to US$ 4.6 billion are pending formal approval for roll out.
Mr. Jay Collins, Vice Chairman of Corporate and Investment Banking at Citigroup, acknowledged that the Philippines has made strides to free up fiscal space and ensure that it is infrastructure investment friendly.

He also emphasized that infrastructure risk needs to be assessed with the overall macro-environment and that focus should be given on how the domestic financial institutions can help bridge gaps and provide expertise in areas such as deal structuring and contract standardization.

Notwithstanding the significant reforms and positive outlook, the constitutional limitations on foreign equity as well as the prohibition on foreign ownership of land continue to put off investors, according to Atty. Alex B. Cabrera, Chairman and Senior Partner of Isla Lipana & Co. However, he stressed that there are legal means to surmount these challenges.

Special economic zones represent a productive use of land to attract and grow foreign investments. Bases Conversion and Development Authority Executive Vice-President Aileen Zosa referred to the success of Clark Base as a special economic zone and its high ability to host backroom and BPO operations of various companies. She introduced the development of the Clark Green City initiative which incorporates over 9,400 hectares of forest land for mixed-use commercial development.

“Invest in the Philippines: Asia’s Bright Spot,” garnered positive responses, due in large part to its effort to present a comprehensive and balanced appraisal of the state of the Philippine economy.

“The Republic of the Philippines delegation conveys the image of a dynamic nation, proud of its past achievements in the economic and social fields, but also aware of what lies ahead and keen to take on the challenges that will turn it into one of the world’s top 20 economies by 2050,” said Mr. Dominique Jooris, moderator of panel on the Philippine macroeconomy, and Managing Director for Asia Credit Capital Markets at Goldman Sachs.

In his remarks, Philippine Ambassador to the United States Jose L. Cuisia, Jr. addressed the issue of making the reform process irreversible.

“But looking towards the future, to the post-Aquino era, I should like to note that in order to ensure the sustainability of our good governance dividends, the Philippine Government is now focusing on a menu of crucial policy areas in the remaining months and days of the Aquino administration in order to preserve the gains of the good governance reforms that have been put in place.”

The Economic Briefing and Investment Conference in New York City is the second stop of a high level trade and investment mission to the United States taking place from 24 to 29 June 2015. The delegation made a pitch in Washington, D.C. on 24 June and will make its final stop in San Francisco on 29 June.

The Mission is an important follow-up to the Philippines-United States Memorandum of Cooperation on an Infrastructure Collaboration Platform, which was signed during the 8th Global Infrastructure Leadership Forum (GILF) held in New York in February.

The Conferences are being organized by the Philippine Embassy in Washington, D.C. and the Philippine Consulates General in New York and San Francisco, in partnership with the Center for Strategic and International Studies, the US-Philippines Society, as well as Citibank, Deutsche Bank, Development Bank of the Philippines, Goldman Sachs, HSBC, JP Morgan, Land Bank of the Philippines, Morgan Stanley, Standard Chartered, and UBS. ###

Awaiting Senator Barbara Boxer's Response on Situation in South Sudan

Note: Senator Boxer is a senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and I am eager to read her response to this letter on brutality against children in South Sudan. I will post it when it is received. 

James Patterson, Diplomat

Life Member American Foreign Service Assoc.

San Francisco CA 94107-4232

June 26, 2015

Senator Barbara Boxer

United States Senate                                                                    

Washington DC 20510

Dear Senator Boxer,

The San Francisco Chronicle recently reported that 129 children were killed in fighting in South Sudan. Little boys were brutally castrated and left to bleed and little girls were gang raped and killed based on reports from United Nations children's agency UNICEF. The agency reports other children were burned alive.

UNICEF reports South Sudan's military was responsible for these atrocities. I know Secretary of State John F. Kerry has spent considerable diplomatic effort in South Sudan since April 2014. Still, the South Sudan military is engaged in a horror campaign against innocent children.

I urge to ask Secretary Kerry to do more to stop these horrific crimes against humanity in South Sudan. Further, the U.S. government should not be funding South Sudan's military to commit such barbarous acts.   

Please inform me what you can do to save the children of South Sudan. I would appreciate the courtesy of an email response to JEPDiplomat@gmail.com I am writing because I have had difficulty submitting questions over your website.  Thank you for your assistance with this deeply troubling issue of violence against children in South Sudan.

Yours truly,

James Patterson, Diplomat

www.HumanRightsIssues.com

John Diaz

San Francisco Chronicle

Foreign Policy

Washington DC

Congressional Gold Medals for Filipino WWII Soldiers

June 24, 2015

Mr. James Patterson, Diplomat

Life Member American Foreign Service Association

Dear Mr. Patterson:

My name is Thryza Navarrete and I work for Ambassador Cuisia at the Philippine Embassy.

I am writing to thank you for your letter to Senator Feinstein.  We are pleased that the Filipino and Filipino-American soldiers will now be recognized with the Congressional Gold Medals.  It is through the support of many concerned individuals like you that this has been accomplished.  We thank you again for your support.

Mabuhay! 

Thryza Navarrete

Embassy of the Republic of the Philippines

1600 Massachusetts Ave NW
Washington, DC 20036

My letter to Senator Dianne Feinstein 

 

James Patterson, Diplomat

Life Member American Foreign Service Association

JEPDiplomat@gmail.com

June 11, 2015

Senator Dianne Feinstein

United States Senate

Washington DC 20510

Submitted via Email

Dear Senator Feinstein,

I am writing in support of legislation, recently introduced in the House and Senate, to honor Filipino and Filipino-American soldiers who fought in World War II with Congressional Gold Medals.

Please work with Hawaii Senator Mazie Hirono, Virginia Senator Tim Keane, and other members of the U.S. Senate to pass this important legislation. It is time for our country to honor the courageous Filipino and Filipino-Americans who fought for freedom and to defend the world from Axis aggression, terror and torture.

Please share with me your thoughts on Congress awarding the Gold Medal to Filipino and Filipino-American WWII veterans. Thank you for the courtesy of an email response to JEPDiplomat@gmail.com

                                                                                                 

Respectfully,

Jim Patterson

Philippines Today, Manila Office

Room 102 G/F National Press Club Bldg.

Magallanes Drive

Intramuros, MANILA

President Obama and Diplomat Jim Patterson on Human Rights

Dear Jim, Thank you for writing.  America’s dedication to universal human rights does not stop at our borders.  In too many places, people are still persecuted for their beliefs, imprisoned for their ideals, and punished for their convictions.  As a Nation committed to upholding freedom and equality for all, we insist on respecting the value and dignity of every person—no matter where they live, what they believe, or who they are. Many countries have pledged themselves to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights because they recognize that restricting the rights and opportunities of any people tears at our social fabric and our common humanity.  But expressions of support are not enough.  Now more than ever, we must shine a spotlight on the dark corners where injustice persists. We have a moral obligation to pursue the world as it should be—in the Americas and the Middle East, across Africa and Asia, and throughout Europe.  Human dignity and justice demand that no man, woman, or child should ever be exploited, and no person should be denied their human rights because of how they pray or who they love.  And leaders and extremists who cling to power and fan the flames of hate and division will continue to be challenged from within and isolated abroad. We must not hesitate to stand on the side of those reaching for their universal rights.  Using the extensive diplomatic and economic tools at our disposal, we will keep working to amplify the courageous voices sounding the call for change.  We still have more to do, and as those in the international community take charge of their destiny, the United States stands ready to do our part to support them. Thank you, again, for writing.  I want you to know I am dedicated to forging a path to a future of greater freedom, democracy, opportunity, and justice for all.  To learn more about my Administration’s work to safeguard human rights around the world, help prevent mass atrocities, and replace tyranny with good governance, visit www.HumanRights.gov. Sincerely, Barack Obama

Dianne Feinstein and Jim Patterson on the South China Sea

Dear Mr. Patterson:

Thank you for writing to me regarding territorial disputes between Vietnam and China in the South China Sea.  I appreciate the time you took to write, and I welcome the opportunity to respond. 

              

Overlapping territorial claims by China and countries surrounding the South and East China Seas have caused tensions within the region.  Though Vietnam and China have been able to work together to delineate maritime boundaries in the Gulf of Tonkin, which lies between northern Vietnam and the southernmost parts of China, their respective and conflicting claims to the Paracel and Spratly islands have not been resolved.   

On May 1, 2014, the state-owned China National Offshore Oil Corporation stationed an oil rig in disputed waters approximately 120 nautical miles off the coast of Vietnam, just south of the Paracel Islands.  Reports indicate that the rig is accompanied by approximately 80 ships, including private fishing, Chinese Coast Guard and Chinese military vessels.  Vietnam contends the rig is located within its exclusive economic zone and therefore opposes the rig's placement and has repeatedly demanded its removal.  

You may be aware that on July 17th, China removed its oil rig from contested waters, a month earlier than expected.

Senior U.S. officials, including Secretary of State John Kerry and Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel, have publicly expressed the United States' opposition to any attempt by any nation to assert authority over disputed areas in the South and East China Seas through force or intimidation. The United States has repeatedly called for the use of existing arbitration mechanisms to resolve territorial disputes. In order to preserve peace and stability in the region, I believe it is imperative that all nations in the Asia-Pacific region clarify their territorial claims and submit any dispute to arbitration in accordance with the UN Convention on the Law of the Seas.  

You may be pleased to know that on July 10, 2013, the Senate approved by unanimous consent S. Res. 412, of which I am a co-sponsor, which reaffirmed the strong support of the United States Government for freedom of navigation and other internationally lawful uses of sea and airspace in the Asia-Pacific region. Specific to Vietnam, the Resolution stated that China's territorial claims and recent actions "have not been clarified under international law, constitute a unilateral attempt to change the status quo by force, and appear to be in violation of the 2002 Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea."

You may be aware that on July 17th, China removed its oil rig from contested waters, a month earlier than expected.

Please know that I have carefully noted your views on this issue, and I will be sure to keep them in mind as I continue to monitor territorial disputes in the East and South China Seas. 

Again, thank you for your letter.  I hope you continue to keep me informed on matters of importance to you.  Should you have any further questions or concerns, do not hesitate to contact my Washington, D.C. office at (202) 224-3841.  Best regards.

Sincerely yours,


  Dianne Feinstein
         United States Senator