APEC- tado
As my colleagues who live in the south were yelling bloody murder after being stuck in traffic for hours with road closures and detours, I dared not gloat that it took me a mere 20-plus minutes to get to work, almost half of my usual 40-minute drive from San Juan to Port Area (they would’ve murdered or beaten me bloody). With no classes and no work (except for peons like us) and a truck ban, the city streets – at least north of the Pasig – were a dream.
Some have said that deploying 30,000 police and an undetermined number of military troops to secure the city was overkill, but with the number of world leaders (including the heads of the world’s three largest economies) and high officials, as well as CEOs and top executives of the world’s biggest corporations in town – and in the aftermath of the horrific, barbarian attacks in Paris on Friday the 13th – we couldn’t afford to be lax, or be seen to be lax.
Through a year of meetings – our hosting started in December 2014 with a meeting buffeted by Typhoon Ruby that forced a venue change from Legazpi City to Makati – we have been able to push forward our agenda of inclusive growth, advancing the cause of micro, small and medium enterprises, opening doors to the global marketplace and international supply chains (now it’s up to these enterprises to get up and seize the opportunities) and disaster risk reduction and mitigation to the forefront of economic planning and development in the region. The substantive achievements of the meetings will impact on and benefit peoples of the region for years to come.
The Philippine brand of hospitality was likewise in focus in the 30-some meetings (from finance to health, science education to food security, women in the economy and many others) held over the past 12 months in different parts of the country, including Clark in Pampanga; Makati, Manila and Pasay cities in the NCR; Tagaytay; Cebu; Iloilo; Boracay. An integral part of the entire APEC experience for the delegates is getting to know the culture – the history, traditions, visual and performing arts, cuisine, fashion, design – of the host country. In this the Philippines did not disappoint, offering delegates a much welcome break from their serious, sometimes contentious, working sessions with themed dinners and presentations that showcased the country’s rich pool of talents, each time affirming that indeed, it’s more fun to hold meetings in the Philippines.
Last Wednesday’s welcome reception for the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting was the highlight of the year-long “party” the country put on, and it was an affair to remember. The pride of Cebu – and the Philippines – Kenneth Cobonpue created a setting that was distinctly Filipino yet global, inspired by the centuries-old rice terraces but perfectly in tune with the 21st century. Seeing the leaders at ease in their rice-green Yoda chairs, enjoying updated tinola, bistek and maja blanca (courtesy of cuisine masters Glenda Barretto and Gaita Fores), wow-ed by the performances of Cecile Licad, Arnel Pineda, Charice, Jessica Sanchez, Apl.De.Ap, the Madz – all internationally acclaimed artists – was a fitting and happy cap to a year of playing host to the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation.