Hundred China quake zone kids to rehabilitate in Philippines

The rehabilitation plan was formalized in August during Arroyo's visit to Sichuan quake zone and meeting with her Chinese counterpart Hu Jintao. Two groups of school children from the Sichuan quake zone took similar rehabilitation trips to Russia and Hungary last year.

In a report to the Department of Foreign Affairs, the Philippine Ambassador to China Sonia Brady said the visit is designed for the Sichuan students to have a meaningful time and interaction with the Filipino people to help them recover from the effects of the earthquake.

Brady said the visit is a "very significant milestone" in promoting people-to-people exchanges between the Philippines and China.

Yuan Zhiju, a teacher with the Leigu middle school in Beichuan, told Xinhua reporters in Sichuan that kids were very excited about going abroad and had hand-knitted with needles and threads three ethnic hand-bags that traditions say would bring good fortune to President Arroyo.

"It is a gift from us to represent our gratitude to President Arroyo and the Filipino people," Yuan said.

Editor:Liu Anqi