APEC selects RP land security protocol bid

The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) has chosen the Philippine proposal for a land international security and commuters advocacy protocol aimed at combating terrorism on land, Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) chairwoman Elena Bautista said yesterday.

Bautista said the LTFRB presented the Philippine proposal during the 25th Transportation Working Group meeting in Washington D from May 31 to June 3.

"The LTFRB presented a proposal to design a land international security and commuters advocacy protocol for APEC economies. This is similar to the air and maritime security protocols against terrorism," Bautista told reporters.

"The Philippine proposal was the number one urgent and priority paper," she said, adding that the proposals of the United States, Canada and Australia were also chosen. The project will cost $180,000.

"The next step is for us to go through a quality assessment framework of APEC during the 26th Transportation Working Group meeting in Russia this September," she said.

International organizations such as APEC earlier had drawn up protocols for air and sea security since both were considered hard targets, Bautista said.

Bautista said APEC also accepted Philippine proposals on maritime or shipbuilding and air security.

In an earlier report, the APEC Transportation Working Group said it aims to liberalize transportation services to enhance the safety of APEC transport systems and encourage economic development in the Asia-Pacific region.