By Shruti Menon Seeboo
The Philippine Ambassador to Mauritius, Miss Noralyn Jubaira Baja, was in Mauritius recently where she met with various Government officials to discuss strengthening of bilateral ties, especially in the wake of disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, reviewing of ongoing agreements, exploring new areas for collaboration, and the possibility of establishing a bilateral consultation mechanism. Topics also included cultural exchange, trade, financial cooperation, and they also negotiated for a Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement.
Miss Noralyn Jubaira Baja is the first female Ambassador of the Philippines to South Africa. She is a career diplomat who rose from the ranks. She is accredited to Mauritius and is currently based in Pretoria, South Africa.
Prior to her latest appointment, she was the Assistant Secretary of the Office of United Nations and International Organisations at the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs. She has also served in the Philippine diplomatic missions in Geneva, Berlin, and Athens. We caught up with her and she speaks to us about promoting and enhancing investment opportunities, MoUs for Africa, and key projects. Excerpts:
- Can you tell us about the Philippines presence in South Africa, what is Philippines’ Africa strategy? How has it been promoting and enhancing the investment opportunities for Philippines and the African continent?
The Embassy of the Philippines in Pretoria, South Africa covers Mauritius and other SADC countries (i.e. Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Madagascar, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe). Under the administration of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., the Philippines seeks not only to enhance its political cooperation with African countries, but also to establish its trade and investment footprints in the continent. As such, the Embassy has been assisting Filipino companies that are looking for business opportunities in countries under its jurisdiction.
The Department of Foreign Affairs of the Philippines is set to convene a regional consultative meeting on 20-21 September 2023 to firm up the country’s strategy towards Africa.
- Now, what role does Mauritius play in it when it comes to investment opportunities and becoming a key regional hub for Africa? Why is it important to have that presence in Africa?
Major Philippine companies have started to recognize Africa’s immense economic potential. The newly operationalized African Continental Free Trade Area provides opportunity for the Philippines to access a single continental market with a population of about 1.3 billion people and a combined GDP of approximately USD 3.4 trillion.
Given its stable political regime, a business-friendly environment and its strategic location, Mauritius can be an investment destination for Philippine companies looking to set up operations in the continent.
- Let’s rewind a bit now, the Bank of Mauritius (BOM) and the Bangkok Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) had entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in March 2021. The MOU was signed by BOM Governor Harvesh Kumar Seegolam and by BSP Governor Benjamin E. Diokno. The MOU affirms the commitment of the Philippine and Mauritian central banks to strengthen bilateral cooperation and to establish an arrangement for the exchange of information, capacity building, and collaboration in key areas of central banking. How has this progressed so far? Where do things stand as of today with this MoU?
The BSP views the MOU with BOM as an important part of its network of bilateral agreements with partner central banks and financial institutions. It is a landmark agreement for the BSP as it is the first one that it forged with an African central bank. The agreement also provides a framework for the BSP to learn from the BOM on the latter’s area of expertise such as in central bank governance.
The BSP is currently in the process of undertaking internal consultations with key stakeholders on possible technical cooperation programs that may be conducted under the purview of the MOU. The agency is interested to explore information exchange with BOM on existing frameworks for digital payments and sustainable finance.
- Are there any new MoUs or key projects in the pipeline for Philippines and Mauritius?
The Philippines and Mauritius are in the final stages of negotiating an agreement establishing a Bilateral Consultative Mechanism between both countries’ policymakers. The proposed bilateral mechanism is essential in laying the groundwork for the long-term and sustainable partnership between the two countries.
During my bilateral meetings with government officials, possible agreements in more than 10 areas such as blue economy, education, culture, science and trade and investment were identified. President Prithvirajsing Roopun, Acting Prime Minister Louis Steven Oobegadoo and Foreign Minister Maneesh Gobin reiterated the need for both sides to work on new and pending agreements to move bilateral relations forward.
- The areas covered by the MOU include the development of respective banking and payment systems, FinTech, cybersecurity, and sustainable central banking. How has the Philippines and Mauritius been able to work together in these key focus areas?
The BSP reiterates that its communication lines with the BOM remain open. Moving forward, it will continue to engage with its Mauritian counterpart as it welcomes proposed activities and programs under the MOU.
- There are a lot of Philippines nationals working and living in Mauritius, who are also part of the ASEAN Community. How do you see the tourism factor building between both nations? How do you view Mauritius’ new amendments to the Finance Act in allowing expats to come and work here as a fantastic opportunity for Philippines nationals?
I am pleased to note that there is a significant number of Filipinos who have made Mauritius as their second home. I am confident that the Filipino diaspora will provide positive contributions towards the well-being of Mauritian society. As a general policy, the Philippine government welcomes policies and initiatives of host governments which guarantee protection for Filipino migrants.
- Are there a lot of Mauritians working and living in the Philippines? If so, what are the key areas of focus where they build their careers on? What are the work and live conditions for Mauritians living there put forward by the Government of Philippines?
Per data released by the Philippine Department of Tourism, there were 253 Mauritian tourists who arrived in the Philippines in 2022. More data has to be gathered on the profile of Mauritians living in the Philippines. Given the warm and welcoming nature of the Filipino people, it would be easy for Mauritians, who are based in the Philippines, to integrate into Filipino society.
- What more do you think needs to be in Mauritius to promote Philippines? How do you see the African and Asian corridors opening up for further opportunities, development and driving towards becoming sustainable and resilient economies?
Our Honorary Consul, Dr. Audrey Patricia Chui Wan Cheong O.S.K., has been greatly helping the Embassy in promoting the Philippines in Mauritius. To unlock the full potential of our partnership, Filipino and Mauritian policymakers need to pursue regular dialogues to discuss and set into motion bilateral programs and initiatives that would bring tangible and concrete opportunities for Filipino and Mauritian people in areas of mutual interest such as trade and investment.
There is also a need for increased cultural exchanges and deeper people-to-people understanding between the two countries. One cannot ignore the potent power of cultural diplomacy in furthering bilateral ties. As the world is increasingly becoming borderless, I think that increased cooperation and engagement between Asia and Africa is inevitable. Given their wealth of experience and expertise, Asian countries such as the Philippines can help steer the African continent along a sustained path of growth, economic transformation, and resilience.
