Israel Ambassador pays courtesy call to GMA Network President and CEO Gilberto R. Duavit, Jr.  | GMANetwork.com - Corporate - Articles

Israel Ambassador to the Philippines Ilan Fluss paid a courtesy call to GMA Network President and CEO Gilberto R. Duavit on October 22 at the Kapuso Network's headquarters in Quezon City.

Israel Ambassador pays courtesy call to GMA Network President and CEO Gilberto R. Duavit, Jr. 

By KRISTIAN ERIC JAVIER

Israeli Ambassador to the Philippines, His Excellency Ilan Fluss, visited GMA Network Center yesterday, October 22, for a courtesy call. 

He was welcomed by GMA Network President and CEO, Mr. Gilberto R. Duavit, Jr., along with Executive Vice President and CFO, Mr. Felipe S. Yalong, Senior Vice President for Programming, Talent Management, Worldwide, and Support Group, President and CEO of GMA Films, Atty. Annette Gozon-Valdes, Senior Vice President and Head for GMA Integrated News, GMA Regional TV, and Synergy, Mr. Oliver Victor B. Amoroso, Senior Vice President and Head of GMA Entertainment Group, Ms. Lilybeth Rasonable.

GMA Network First Vice President of Public Service and Community Development and GMA Kapuso Foundation (GMAKF) Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer Ms. Rikki Escudero-Catibog, First Vice President of GMA International Mr. Joseph T. Francia, and Vice President for Corporate Affairs and Communications Ms. Angela Javier-Cruz were also present. 

During their meeting, Mr. Duavit noted the relationship between Israel and the Philippines, noting how the Middle Eastern country's innovation and initiatives contributed to the Philippines development. 

“Your video (showed by the Israeli embassy), Your Excellency, speaks volumes, many volumes, of the great cooperation, the partnership, and the bond our nation shares,” President Duavit said.

He added, “Israel remains one of our trusted bilateral partners in the Middle East region and the friendship between our nations predates the establishment of the Israeli state.”

Duavit then expressed how Israel, a global leader in agriculture and water management, has helped the Philippines improve in these sectors.

“GMA Network is a partner in the enhancement of the understanding between our nations… For our part, we will continue to strengthen the Philippine-Israeli ties through responsible and biased and timely delivery of accurate news and information,” he said. 

Ambassador Fluss, on the other hand, shared how the Philippines has opened up more opportunities for innovation and development since his last visit in the nineties. 

“I think we have so much to offer and for me, I don't look at it as an offer, I look at it as opportunities for partnerships and cooperation because here in the Philippines, once we see the challenges of the country and I think technology and innovation because I think innovation is not only about the product, innovation is about the way of thinking, how do you look at reality,” Ambassador Fluss said.

He concluded, “With the challenges and the mindset and the resiliency of the Philippines, together with the resiliency and the innovative and the technological approach of Israelis, I think we can really create here revolutionary technologies that we can do together in the Philippines.”