Birds of a feather

Did you know that the Philippine eagle is believed to have the largest wing span of any eagle species alive?

Unfortunately, it is now critically endangered.

The Philippines is seeking to preserve its natural habitat and enable it to breed.

Mandai Wildlife is supporting the effort to preserve this majestic bird.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and First Lady Louise Araneta Marcos were exceptionally warm in hosting my wife and I—and my delegation—on my state visit to the Philippines [last week].

We had productive discussions.

Protecting biodiversity and sustainability are, in fact, important areas of future collaboration between our two countries.

The Philippines has significant potential to contribute to this critical global goal and to earn carbon credits, such as by restoring and preserving forests and wetlands, and by retiring coal plants ahead of schedule while developing clean energies such as solar, wind and geothermal power — all of which the country has advantages in.

Our two governments concluded an agreement that will enable the exchange of carbon credits during the state visit.

Many companies are waiting for the implementation agreement that will have legal effect, hopefully within a year, so that they can work together on sustainable projects that can be financed by carbon credits.

Rice is another area of collaboration for a sustainable future.

It is the staple food for much of Asia and the world, but rice cultivation, as we know it, is seriously threatened.

We need healthier varieties of rice with low glycemic index scores to reverse a rising tide of diabetes. We need rice with higher protein to help tackle malnutrition among children in many developing countries.

Today’s rice cultivation methods, which goes back centuries, can no longer be sustained without harming the climate (through methane emissions from wet paddy fields).

It also uses too much water, often in places which are already running short of water.

And, increasingly, climate change itself including the severe droughts it causes is threatening rice crops everywhere, from China to Southeast Asia to India and Africa.

That’s why we are strengthening our partnerships with the International Rice Research Institute, which has been developing new rice varieties to address these issues.

Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory is a valuable partner for them in this effort.

They are also keen to cooperate with A*STAR on clinical work to validate the health benefits of the new rice varieties.

And the Lee Foundation has been supporting a new generation of rice scientists through IRRI.

We have also launched new initiatives in people development between Singapore and the Philippines.

Singapore will help train healthcare workers in the Philippines, which will meet both their needs and ours in Singapore, and give the workers good careers.

Our medical team at KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital will work with Taguig City (about 1.3 million population) to improve maternal and child healthcare, through a program just launched by Temasek Foundation with the city authorities.

The health of the mother and nutrition in the earliest stage of life is just about the best investment in the future, for each child and for society.

The Philippines also intends to work with NUS’ Institute of Systems Science to train leaders in digital transformation for its civil service.

Once trained in Singapore, these leaders will train thousands more in the Philippines.

And we have other initiatives started by Singaporeans themselves.

Like Lee Zhihan, a young man who has started a skills-training scheme for underprivileged youth in Negros Island.

Inspiring.

Philippines, with its young and creative population, is rich in biodiversity.

I’m convinced it has great potential as a country.

Singapore is happy to be a close partner in its development.

What we do together will benefit both countries, and our peoples.

Editor’s note: President Shanmugaratnam was in the Philippines from 15 to 17 August, where he reaffirmed with President Marcos the excellent and longstanding friendship between Singapore and the Philippines in time for the 55th anniversary of the two countries’ diplomatic relations. The two leaders also exchanged views on regional and global developments, reaffirming the importance of regional economic integration and strengthening cooperation within the Asean.