Palace: No change in Asean meet venue

Contrary to earlier reports, there will be no change in the venue of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) summit in Cebu City in December, Malacañang said yesterday.

Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said the venue remains the Cebu International Convention Center (CICC) in Mandaue City, which would be completed in time for the summit.

But Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye said a final decision would still be made on Nov. 28.

Instead of 86, 91 activities would be held at the CICC, including some activities of the leaders attending the summit, he added.

Ermita said although the Nov. 15 deadline to finish the project was not met, the convention center had been "substantially completed."

"We still have almost a month," he said. "There is no official announcement yet (as to the change of venue.) It’s too far off."

The government will shell out an additional P45 million to ensure that the P450-million CICC would be completed, he added.

Ermita said Plan B was only being discussed to make sure that the event would go on smoothly, and that Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia assured that the CICC would be completed.

"Right now, it’s ongoing finishing touches, and from the initial amount of P450 million, she said maybe you could add anywhere from 10 to 15 percent so it will be finished much earlier."

Ermita said Garcia told him that the Cebu International Convention Center could not be used without the "finishing touches."

He could not say where the P45 million would be sourced, but he assured the national government would provide the necessary assistance, he added.

In a statement, the 12th Asean Summit National Organizing Committee said the main venue for the meetings of Asean leaders and their dialogue partners will be the Shangri-La Mactan Island Resort on Dec. 11 and 12.

"The events on the last day of the summit, Dec. 13, including the second East Asia Summit will be held at the Cebu International Convention Center in Mandaue City," read the statement.

"The signing ceremony for the summit outcome documents will also be held at the CICC on the 13th of December, to be followed by a press conference by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, chairman of the Asean summit.

"The international media center will be housed at CICC. The Cebu provincial government has assured the NOC that the CICC will be operational by Nov. 28."

Earlier, police Deputy Director General Avelino Razon Jr., Task Force ASEAN head, said the Dec. 11-14 summit would be held at Shangri-La Hotel on Mactan Island instead of the CICC because of delays in its construction.

Bunye said some of the Asean leaders’ activities were originally planned to be held at the CICC.

A final decision would be made on Nov. 28, when the structural integrity of the convention center would be assured, he added.

Construction on the huge center began in April and was originally scheduled to be completed by yesterday.

The summit will involve leaders of the 10-country ASEAN - Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines and Vietnam.

Leaders from China, Japan, South Korea, India, Australia and New Zealand will also join the ASEAN heads of state for an East Asia Summit on Dec. 13. — Aurea Calica