Duterte bags $185M in investments from Singapore trip

AT least $185.7 million worth of trade and investment pledges were made during the trip of President Rodrigo Duterte to a regional summit in Singapore, Malacañang said on Saturday.

Duterte, who was in Singapore for the just-concluded 32nd Association of South

- mit, witnessed the signing of investment agreements with Singaporean companies

- able energy, aviation, manufacturing and economic and trade cooperation.

The new Singaporean trade and investment pledges to the Philippines are expected to generate about 1,920 jobs for Filipinos, the Palace said.

In his speech, Duterte assured the Singaporean businessmen that there would be no corruption in his administration.

“For as long as I am there, there will be no corruption in my government,” the President said during the signing of the business agreements.

“Do not give in to them. All you have to do is to make a call, I said, and I will grant you [a meeting] anytime especially about graft, about workers in government asking for money,” he added.

The President said he would task the

up with measures that would make the process of doing business in the country “simpler and easier.”

Businesses in the Philippines, he said,