Organizers seek exemption for some sectors

The 12th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) Summit organizing committee has recommended to Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita some exemptions from the four-day holiday declared by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

The organizers are asking that manufacturing companies and banks be exempted from the declaration, but other sectors can also be included if there would also be a clamor for such.

Ambassador Marciano Paynor, who sits as the secretary general of the national organizing committee (NOC) and as concurrent chairman of the Cebu organizing committee (COC), however said that there is no assurance that the request can be granted.

Until such time that the president issues an order about the exemption, the holiday declaration stands for everyone.

Paynor said they have reached a consensus that certain sectors should be exempted from the Malacañang declaration of a special non-working holiday on December 11 to 14. This is in view of the economic and labor implications of the holiday.

Paynor said the Office of the Executive Secretary had already asked them about the concerns of the businessmen.

"It is our consensus, I believe, that certain sectors should be exempted, in particular the manufacturing companies. They have deadlines to beat. If their workers come, they have to pay double if they're not exempted. And if they close in accordance with the Presidential Proclamation their workers will not be paid," he said.

Paynor said, a win-win solution must be in place and that is by granting exemptions to the manufacturing sector and as well as to the banking sector, but at the same time they have to make sure that the conduct of the summit will not be affected.

In view of this request for exemptions, contingency measures are already in place, including the identification of an alternate route for the workers of the Mactan Export Processing Zone by the security sub-committee.

"It will give them a bit of inconvenience. But what's a bit of inconvenience considering the total picture. After all this is a national event and everyone wants to contribute a bit. We are asking those who will be affected to think of this, their inconvenience as their contribution to the national coffer," he said.

In the joint meeting of the NOC and the COC at the Cebu City Marriott Hotel yesterday, Paynor said they are already 98 percent done with their preparations.

The remaining two percent covers dry runs to make sure that the flow of traffic and the transport of leaders from where they're staying to meeting points, and from one meeting to another will be very smooth.

Paynor said, the traffic dry-run will be conducted anytime next week but he will not disclose the specific date.

There will be a total of 95 events that will be held in Cebu during the summit although Paynor said they have yet to finalize the specific venues of these events.

He said what made them redo their identification of the event venues was the decision to hold the Asean Plus Three Summit here in Cebu last week.

Confirmed to attend the summit are the leaders of the 10 member countries of the Asean plus the leaders of China, Korea, Japan, India, Australia and New Zealand.

Leaders of East Timor and France have also confirmed attendance, as it will be signing the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation.

The European Union has also indicated that they might come only that they have some technical problem.

Checking Expenses

With only about P4 million as budget for the spouses program for the ASEAN Summit, Cebu City is making sure the expenditures for the activities here will be within the allocated budget.

Mayor Tomas Osmeña said his wife Margot, vice-chairperson of the spouses committee, is doing her best to reduce the expenditures of the government by engaging the help of private organizations in the city. The committee is being headed by DFA Undersecretary Francisco Benedicto.

A private firm will reportedly sponsor the P900,000 construction of a monument at the Friendship Park while the Aboitiz group of companies has pledged for the construction of a waiting shed. Meanwhile, Bigfoot Asia Pacific Foundation Inc. founder Michael Gleissner will reportedly sponsor the food for the 3,000 dancers that would participate in the city tour for the first ladies.

"We're doing everything para maka-menos ug gasto ang gobyerno," Osmeña said.

Meanwhile, with three events in Cebu City alone, the city has only budgeted P1.5 million as opposed to the P1.10 million that Lapu-Lapu City has reportedly budgeted for just a luncheon. Each plate would reportedly cost P2,500, excluding the buffet table.

Aside from the contingency measures, Cebu City would also spend for the buses that the spouses would use for the tour.

It will be walk down memory lane for the first ladies as a pre-Hispanic atmosphere will greet them during the first day at the Lapu-Lapu shrine where the historical Kadaugan sa Mactan will be re-enacted. In the afternoon, the ladies will be whisked to the Malacañang sa Sugbu, which will bear a Hispanic atmosphere that would showcase the different products of Cebu especially the island's world-class furniture industry. - with Joeberth M. Ocao