MANILA, March 6 — Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and his wife Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Mohd Ali today arrived in Manila for a three-day visit to the Philippines.

He arrived at the Bulwagang Kalayaan Villamor Air Base at 7.50pm (local time) and were given a welcome by Secretary of the Information and Technology of the Philippines Eliseo M. Rio.

At the Air Base to greet Dr Mahathir were Malaysian Foreign Minister Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah, Charge d’ Affairs of the Malaysian Embassy in Manila Rizany Irwan Muhamad Mazlan and other high level Malaysian officers.

Tomorrow, Dr Mahathir is scheduled to deliver a keynote address during his meeting with captains of industry in the Philippines at the Malaysia-Philippines Business Forum before meeting with the Philippines’ former President and House Speaker Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, followed by a meeting with Jose Ma Concepcion III, Presidential Adviser on Entrepreneurship and Asean Business Advisory.

Dr Mahathir will also attend a wreath-laying ceremony at the Rizal Monument at the Rizal Park, followed by the official welcoming and arrival ceremony at the Malacanang Palace.

The Malaysian prime minister will also have a meeting with his counterpart President Rodrigo Duterte at Malacanang Palace and a joint statement will be issued by both leaders after the meeting.

Dr Mahathir is scheduled to meet Malaysians as well as Malaysian students in Manila on the last day of the visit before he departs for Kuala Lumpur.

Besides Saifuddin, also accompanying Dr Mahathir in the visit are the Minister of International Trade and Industry Datuk Darell Leiking. — Bernama