Foreign Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano lauded the role played by former Senate President Edgardo Angara when he was the Philippines' Special Envoy to the European Union.

In a statement from Bahrain on Sunday, Cayetano said Angara's "discussions with European parliamentarians played an important role in preserving our Generalized System of Preference (GSP+) status with the European Union, providing special status for our exporters of designated products."

The GSP grants duty-free status to around 6,000 products from the Philippines.

Angara passed away at the age of 83 on Sunday morning, his son Senator Juan Edgardo Angara said in his Twitter account.

Ties between the Philippines and the European Union were strained last year after the EU expressed concern over the anti-drug campaign of the government. This led President Rodrigo Duterte to criticize them and say it would reject EU aid if it imposes conditions.

Last October, Angara told Palace reporters there is distinction between aid or grant and trade.

"Trade normally is usually with conditions," he said.

"If I would be part of the economic team, and I'm not, I will try to point out to the president the distinction between aid and grant. Aid is outright grant and usually for humanitarian purpose," said Angara.

Cayetano also said Angara was instrumental in designating as Philipine-Spanish Friendship Day.

"Senate President Angara was a tireless advocate for the preservation and appreciation of our Hispanic legacy as an essential element of Filipino history and culture," he said.DMS