Philippine hospitality

TODAY BEGINS the most important week of the Philippines’ yearlong hosting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec), which has 21 members that include the powerhouses United States, Russia, China and Japan. World leaders will converge at the vintage Philippine International Convention Center on Nov. 18 and 19 for the concluding event of the 2015 Apec Summit, known as the Apec Economic Leaders’ Meeting (AELM). This culminates the Philippines’ second chairmanship of the annual Apec meeting, with the first held in Subic, Zambales, in 1996. Ahead of the AELM, a high-level gathering of businessmen from the Asia-Pacific region will take place on Nov. 16-18 at the Shangri-La hotel in Makati. Dubbed the Apec CEO Summit, more than 800 executives will discuss the future of economic growth in the region, among other concerns.

Apec members account for about 40 percent of the earth’s population, 54 percent of the world’s gross domestic product, and 47 percent of global trade. Four-fifths of the Philippines’ external trade is with Apec members. The Apec platform is composed of various policymaking and technical-level meetings, each focusing on a particular sector or topic. Apec leaders and ministers define the policy direction of the region, which government officials and technical experts implement throughout the Apec year. The Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM) gathers all the activities, initiatives and policy recommendations from the more than 30 Apec technical working groups and committees. At the concluding SOM, also the final forum before the AELM, officials are tasked to process the year’s worth of work and prioritize the deliverables such as action plans and statements to be endorsed to the leaders for adoption. Apec 2015, with the Philippines as host, had a total of 229 meetings, including those attended by finance ministers, sectoral ministers and the Apec Business Advisory Council (Abac), the private-sector arm of the Apec. These meetings identified and developed policies, initiatives and programs within the theme “building inclusive economies, building a better world.”

The yearlong hosting by the Philippines has showcased its vaunted hospitality and various tourist destinations to Apec officials and business executives. The pre-summit meetings were held in such locations as Boracay, Cebu, Bacolod, Davao, Bicol, Iloilo, Clark and Subic, Tagaytay and Bataan.

The government is now making sure that the stay this week of the Apec leaders and their delegates—as well as the estimated 4,000 local and foreign journalists who will chronicle the events of the Philippine edition of the Apec Summit—will be pleasurable and enjoyable. As in any gathering involving several heads of state, keeping the dignitaries safe is the foremost concern. Security preparations for the AELM, according to Ambassador Marciano Paynor Jr., director general of the Apec 2015 National Organizing Council, were 20 times more challenging than the pastoral visit of Pope Francis last January. “The Pope’s visit was a dry-run for all of us. You multiply that by 20. That is what we are facing in terms of security.”

What is a visit to the Philippines without entertainment? This is why the world leaders will be treated to the best the Philippines has to offer. Internationally renowned Filipino artists have been tapped to perform at the Apec leaders’ welcome reception on Wednesday at the Mall of Asia

Arena, among them Black Eyed Peas member Apl.de.ap, vocalist Arnel Pineda of Journey, concert pianist Cecile

Licad, singing sensation Charice Pempengco, American Idol runner-up Jessica Sanchez, the Philippine Madrigal Singers and the shadow-play group El Gamma Penumbra (the first “Asia’s Got Talent” champion). Meanwhile, the spouses of the heads of state will be under the care of President Aquino’s four sisters. The reported highlight of their stay will be a tour of the historic Intramuros area.

The Philippines has allocated about P10 billion for hosting the Apec this year, and the President has expressed the desire for the Apec Summit to be “flawless and seamless.” It is every citizen’s duty to ensure that the AELM and all other Apec-related events this week will proceed smoothly and safely. As Filipinos are known to be gracious hosts, let us showcase to the world our brand of genuine hospitality.