Marcos off to US for APEC

MANILA, Philippines — President Marcos departed last night for the US for a six-day working visit, including as a participant in the 30th Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders’ Summit in San Francisco, California.

It will be his third trip to the US since assuming office in June last year.

After attending the Nov. 15-17 APEC summit, Marcos will stay overnight in Los Angeles and fly to Honolulu in Hawaii on Nov. 18 to visit the Indo-Pacific Command, where he is likely to discuss the West Philippine Sea issue with US security officials.

He is also expected to attend a roundtable discussion initiated by the Daniel K. Inouye Asia-Pacific Center for security studies.

The President is also set to meet with the Filipino communities in San Francisco, Los Angeles and Honolulu.

In his departure speech, Marcos said the APEC’s theme, “Creating a Sustainable and Resilient Future for All,” aligns with his administration’s goal of transforming the Philippines toward a sustainable future so that all Filipinos will have a “stable, prosperous and peaceful” life.

“Our APEC work has been focused to prioritize and secure beneficial trade and investment, quality and green jobs, and human development and poverty alleviation,” he said.

“We will be engaging with the leaders of economies of the Asia-Pacific region to agree on how we can achieve food and energy security, economic inclusion of our micro, small and medium enterprises, women, indigenous people and other segments whose economic potential remains to be unlocked through digitalization and innovation, and sustainable development and addressing the climate change crisis,” he added.

Meanwhile, the Philippines’ representatives to the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC) has called for a review of existing standards on nuclear energy to reduce risks and promote its responsible use.

Sabin Aboitiz, ABAC vice chair for the sustainable growth working group and Aboitiz Group president and CEO, made the remarks prior to the APEC Leaders’ dialogue in San Francisco.

“A comprehensive review and analysis of current regulatory standards and requirements are essential to mitigate nuclear energy risks and ensure the highest safety standards. And providing incentives for cleaner energy sources, coupled with stable policies, long-term contracts and larger commitments, is crucial for developing a robust nuclear supply chain,” Aboitiz was quoted as saying in an ABAC statement.

“We need to build trust and guarantee the safe and responsible use of nuclear energy,” he added.

“To attract financing for nuclear power plants, there is a need for sound and stable energy policies that instill confidence in investors,” Aboitiz said.

Panelists at the meeting also pushed for the standardization of reactor designs and the establishment of common supply chains scalable across APEC economies, according to the ABAC statement.

The approach aims to streamline the transition process to create a more efficient and cost-effective nuclear power supply chain.

Aboitiz also talked about collaboration with APEC economies that already have robust nuclear deployment systems. By leveraging the expertise and infrastructure of these economies, the nuclear power supply chain could be strengthened and emerging nuclear economies could facilitate the development of their own expertise and infrastructure, the council pointed out. — Alexis Romero, Richmond Mercurio