President Aquino Meets with Nandu, John in UK

President Benigno S. Aquino III met with Nestlé S.A. Zone AOA Managing Director Nandu Nandkishore and Nestlé Philippines Chairman and CEO John Miller on June 6 in London during his four-day official visit to the United Kingdom for an update on the Company’s investments in the Philippines. Nestlé was amongst a select group of international and local Philippine companies invited to participate in the President’s historic visit to the UK, his first to Europe since taking office.

Nestlé S.A. Zone AOA Head Nandu Nandkishore and NPI Chairman and CEO John Miller assure President Aquino of continued Nestlé investments in the Philippines

The 30-minute meeting, held at the Intercontinental London Park Lane Hotel, was one of a series of business sessions with European-based companies to help further spur the country’s economic growth.

During the meeting, Nandu briefed the President on the roots of Nestlé and its evolution into the world’s leading Nutrition, Health and Wellness Company. He also explained the importance of Nestlé Philippines, Inc. to both the Zone and Nestlé SA. John reiterated Nestlé Philippines’ long-term commitment to the Philippines, citing our continuing investments in the country and efforts to strengthen coffee-growing as a more sustainable livelihood for farmers.

President Aquino lauded Nestlé’s leadership role in breathing new life into the coffee industry

Describing the Philippines’ active participation in the global NESCAFÉ Plan, John briefly outlined how, through the Nestlé agronomy program, the Company is helping equip local coffee farmers with the best available technologies and techniques that will enable them to increase their harvest per hectare and improve the quality of their coffee. At the heart of this program is the Nestlé Experimental and Demonstration Farm (NEDF) in Tagum, City, Davao del Norte, which serves as the hub of the Company’s agricultural research and training activities. From 1996 to 2011, NEDF and its agronomists have trained a total of 10,700 farmers and distributed 3.5 million Robusta coffee seedlings.

The President expressed his full support to the coffee-growing industry, and lauded Nestlé’s leadership role in breathing new life into the coffee industry. John invited President Aquino to grace the official opening in October this year of Nestlé’s latest investment in the Philippines, the PhP 4.8 billion Tanauan factory.