August
30, 2002
Ambassador
Ricciardone's Mindanao Tour
Baby
Francis. U.S. Ambassador Francis Ricciardone (center)
and his wife Dr. Marie Ricciardone, share with Mary Jane Bandalan
the joy of her baby's birth just hours before the envoy's visit
to a Well-Family Midwife Clinic in Tibungco, Davao City, on August
28. The clinic, which is one of more than 180 such clinics
operating throughout the country under a program funded by the
U.S. Agency for International Development, provides quality services
for middle- and low-income families. Ambassador Ricciardone
visited General Santos City, Davao City, the Mindanao State University
in Marawi City, Tawi-Tawi, Surigao City and other points of interest
in Mindanao from August 27 to 29 to meet with local government
and business leaders during his four-day familiarization tour
in southern Philippines.
The
Ambassador and Dr. Ricciardone also met (l-r, from back row)
Ms. Tessie Rasonable, the midwife of the USAID-supported clinic;
Dr. Warlito Vicente, Executive Director of the Center for Education,
Research and Development in Health, Davao Medical Foundation;
Ms. Easter Dasmariñas, resident advisor of the John Snow
International Research and Training Institute, Inc.; and Ms.
Nilda Perez, USAID project management specialist.
(L-r,
top row:) Ms. Carina Stover, chief of the USAID Office of Population,
Health and Nutrition; and Mr. Michael Yates, USAID-Philippines
Director, joined the Ambassador in the visit to the USAID-funded
clinic.
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(Pictures
1-4) Ambassador Ricciardone and his wife also met with members
of the American Chamber of Commerce in Davao, alumni of U.S. international
visitors programs, and staff members of the American Studies Resource
Center in the city.
Tuna.
U.S. Ambassador Francis Ricciardone (center) and his wife Dr.
Marie Ricciardone, are briefed by Socsargen Association of Allied
Fishing Industries president Domingo Teng (fifth from right) as
they tour a tuna processing facility in the General Santos City
fish port last August 28. The ambassador assured the
city's business and government leaders of the U.S. government's
support for greater access for Philippine tuna products in the
U.S market. Ambassador Ricciardone visited General
Santos City, Davao City, and the Mindanao State University in
Marawi City last August 27-29 to meet with local government and
business leaders before proceeding to Surigao City on August
30 to deliver remarks at the 11th Mindanao Business Conference.
Ambassador
Ricciardone had a first-hand view of General Santos' leading industry
and the opportunity to meet the industry's workers.
U.S.
support for Mindanao development. U.S. Ambassador Francis
Ricciardone expressed the United States' strong confidence in
Mindanao growth and potential to the participants at the 11th
Mindanao Business Conference in Surigao City last August 29.
Before proceeding to conference, the ambassador visited General
Santos City, Davao City, and the Mindanao State University in
Marawi City last August 27-29 and met with local government and
business leaders there for a first-hand view of the region.
USAID-Philippines
Director Michael Yates, in his remarks during the conference,
highlighted USAID projects that support economic growth in Mindanao.
Ambassador
and Dr. Ricciardone received from Surigao Governor Robert Lyndon
S. Barbers (second, left) symbolizing the province's status as
the country surfing capital. With them in the photo are
USAID Director Michael Yates (left) and Mindanao Business Council
chairperson Joji Ilagan-Bian.
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