ASEAN trade ministers’ meetings begin today

"Yes, we are all prepared."

This was the statement made by Asteria Caberte, director of the Department of Trade and Industry Region-7, regarding the ASEAN Trade Ministers' meetings that will kick off today in Bohol.

Judy Gabato, officer-incharge of the Department of Tourism-7, said that so far, no foreign delegates have cancelled their participation in the event despite the recent encounter between Abu Sayaff and the military and police in the province.

Gabato added that as of yesterday, delegates from Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia and Philippines have already arrived in Bohol. Caberte said that the bulk of the estimated 200 delegates are expected to arrive in Bohol today.

Aside from the said countries, other ASEAN-member states include Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

Earlier, Department of Interior and Local Government officer-in-charge Catalino S. Cuy said that about 4,000 personnel from the Philippine National Police, Armed Forces of the Philippines, emergency response units and various agencies will be deployed in Bohol during the ASEAN meetings.

"The military and the police are on top of the situation. We would like to assure the delegates, tourists and residents alike that we are exerting our best efforts for Bohol," Cuy, a retired police general, earlier said.

In light of the recent clash with Abu Sayyaf in Inabanga, Bohol, the Police Regional Office (PRO) Region-7 has tightened security measures as a precautionary measure for the ASEAN Trade Ministers Meeting.

PRO-7 director Chief Superintendent Noli Taliño said that an additional 1,000 security forces have been deployed to critical locations to secure the perimeters.

“Mas alert tayo ngayon syempre. Yun ang pinapaemphasize natin sa lahat ng station deputy na ide-deploy natin sa ASEAN summit,” Taliño said.

Moreover, as an added security measure, Taliño has ordered for signal jammers to be produced but said that signal shutdown will only be initiated based on situation analysis.

Taliño said that other provinces in Central Visayas will still maintain full alert status as security concentration will not solely be on Panglao.