MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines will try to learn from China’s experience in hosting this year’s Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) to effectively handle the large number of delegates arriving in the country when it hosts a similar event in November next year.
Filipino officials will go to China next week to accompany President Aquino and at the same time learn from China’s hosting of the APEC, Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said in a radio interview on Saturday.
To show our support for the member economy hosting this year’s APEC, ang Tsina po ito, kaya pupunta tayo para ipakita naman natin ang ating suporta,” Valte told dzRB Radyo ng Bayan.
“Kasi malaking bagay po ang pagho-host ng isang APEC at talagang malaking effort din po ang kailangan sa isang member economy para ma-execute nang maayos dahil ang dami pong bisita niyan,” she added.
She said that for APEC Leaders’ Week, the typical number of media men attending is around 4,000. This in addition to 6,000 APEC delegates.
Valte said they are seeing a total of 10,000 visitors arriving in Beijing for this year’s APEC Summit.
“It will really be a very opportune experience for those of us in the Philippines who are helping out in the preparations for our hosting of APEC to see how China will execute Leaders’ Week,” Valte noted.
Asked if the Philippines will adopt a policy of encouraging people in the metropolis to take vacations during Manila’s hosting of APEC, Valte said they are looking at that scenario.
Australia adopted such a strategy when it hosted APEC in 2007 and China may have a similar approach in decongesting the capital during the APEC Summit.
“Pinag-aaralan din po ang ganitong modelo, considering nga na tinataya nating 10,000 ang darating sa Manila pagdating ng November 2015, tinitingnan po natin ito,” she said.
President Aquino will arrive in Beijing on November 9 and will stay until November 11 for the summit. After attending the APEC Summit, the President will fly to Myanmar for the ASEAN Summit to be held there this year.
The Philippines is one of the APEC’s founding members when the trade bloc was organized in November 1989, together with other 20 Pacific rim countries.
The country’s hosting next year is its second, after the Philippines hosted APEC 19 years ago, in 1996 during the term of former president Fidel V. Ramos.
APEC seeks to promote free trade and economic cooperation throughout Asia-Pacific region. PND
