Obama in White House is good news to RP -- Kenney
abs-cbnNEWS.com | 11/06/2008 9:08 AM
Printer-friendly version | 
Send to friend | 
Share your views
United States Ambassador Kristie Kenney on Thursday assured Southeast Asian countries, including the Philippines, of good days ahead, with Barack Obama in the White House.
"He spent several childhood years in Southeast Asia. That is gonna be good news. I think when you grow up already loving Southeast Asia, with the region close to you heart, for us here, that is gonna be good news," Kenney said over ABS-CBN's morning show, "Umagang Kay Ganda."
Obama, whose father hails from Kenya, lived in Indonesia for four years and went to a grade school in Jakarta. The US president-elect was born in Hawaii.
Kenney said that based on Obama's historic speech after being elected by Americans to the White House on Tuesday, the president-elect has indicated his "global outlook" and promised to "reach out" to America's friends around the world.
"I as the president want us to move forward together," Kenney said, quoting the first black president of the US.
The US ambassador also pacified fears that the call center industry will be affected by the White House takeover of a Democrat, as feared by analysts in the Philippines.
She said American call center companies that have branched out in the Philippines would probably maintain their business here.
"If you heard him yesterday, [he mentioned] growing global prosperity. Call centers continue to be strong. Their successful because the Philippine work force is so talented," Kenney said.
There were speculations in the Philippines that Obama's administration might convince American call centers in the country to return to the US for more jobs for its citizens.
Analysts said the projected move is one way of preserving the falling US economy, which has triggered the global financial crisis.
Meanwhile, Sen. Francis Escudero said Filipino immigrants in the US may benefit from Obama's electoral success.
"The [Obama administration's] policy on immigrants may be more relaxed. He is the first US president who has a non-American father, and he understands the situation of immigrants," Escudero said.
In his victory speech in Chicago late Tuesday, Obama said a "new dawn" of American leadership was at hand as he promised a shared US destiny with the rest of the world.
"It's been a long time coming. But tonight, because of what we did on this day, in this election, at this defining moment, change has come to America," he said in front of a crowd of 65,000 people.
"All of those watching tonight from beyond our shores, in the parliament and in the palaces, those huddled around radios in the forgotten corners of the world, our stories are singular but our destiny is shared," he added.
He also warned those who have been sowing terror while praising people seeking peace.
"To those who would tear the world down, we will defeat you. To those who seek peace and security, we support you."
"We have proved that the true strength of our nation comes not from the scale of our wealth but from the power of our ideals -- opportunity, democracy, liberty and hope." With a report from Agence France-Presse
