MANILA, Philippines - President Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III on Friday said he is eyeing 2 trips abroad this year in keeping with his promise to limit unnecessary travel to foreign countries.

Aquino said he has received recommendations to take 8 trips abroad before the end of the year. He said he has yet to decide which of the 8 trips he needs to take.

He said that traditionally, the President usually attends the Association of Southeast Asian Nations leaders’ summit. This year's summit will be held in Hanoi,Vietnam in October.

The Philippines is a member of the 10-member regional group, which includes Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Singapore and Vietnam.

Aquino said he is also keen on going to the United States later this year to attend the United Nations General Assembly in New York in October. If the trip pushes through, he said he will also go to Washington DC and Silicon Valley in California.

"If I go to the US, I will be bringing home a lot of good news. Klarong may iuuwi sa taumbayan,” he told members of the Malacañang Press Corps.

Aquino said he was also advised to attend the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) in Brussels this October and establish ties with European Union leaders. He said, however, that he might send either Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima or Trade Secretary Gregory Domingo first.

The new President said he will have "minimal" entourage in his trips abroad.

He also said he has yet to renew his passport online and that he could go to the Department of Foreign Affairs for a biometric scan.