All’s well that ends well: Despite the TrAPEC, APEC boosted our stock (Conclusion)

When we remember inconveniences rather than humiliating incidents and tragedies, we’re lucky. Blessed. Chosen.

 If we were counting casualties instead of virulent FB rants on the traffic, we would have been, again, the basket case of Asia.

But we pulled it off, unscathed. It was not seamless as the last Olympics in London, but it succeeded in giving forth the perception of a united bloc meeting in a country that pulled all stops for the gods of the economic Mt. Olympus.

And so I think what the organizers and the police need is a pat on the back. The angry tweets have been forgotten and what we should remember is that we pulled it off!

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Guests who were invited to the newly restored Ayuntamiento building in Intramuros for the luncheon hosted by the presidential sisters Ballsy, Pinky, Viel and Kris were transfixed by its grandeur. Also known as the Casas Consistoriales, the Ayuntamiento was the seat of the Manila City Council. Destroyed in World War II and reconstructed thereafter, the building now houses the offices of the Bureau of the Treasury.

The building, which faces the Comelec head office and is a stone’s throw away from the Manila Cathedral, was once so decrepit it was used as a parking lot. It is reportedly only the marble floors and walls and the shell of the building that are the original parts of Ayuntamiento.

But with a grant from the Spanish government, it was restored to its past grandeur.

“When the National Organizing Committee gave a presentation last May or June, I thought to myself — does that place exist?” recalls Pinky Aquino-Abellada. “Then when we saw, wow! There is a museum in the basement, too.  And when it was being rebuilt, they saw the foundation made of banga and they preserved that, too.

“The NOC got former CCP president Nes Jardin and the Department of Tourism to come up with a tour — they put actors and dancers to make the place come alive but again due to time constraints, a few proposed stops had to be removed. Mariel Tolentino helped a lot with the lunch program — she made sure all details were looked at (bazaar setup, food, and even the restrooms were prettied up for guests!). Kris took charge of the program because we were told they only had budget for a string quartet so Kris said siya na bahala and got Pam Pamintuan to set up the stage, flowers and entertainers.”

(Instead of siphoning money from government coffers, the Aquino sisters even spend their own money when the budget is tight.)

 The sisters gave the spouses of the APEC leaders a tour of Intramuros, and Pinky found them “very engaged.”

“During the tour, the Thai First Lady Naraporn Chan-o-cha tried to make the San Nicolas cookies in Casa Manila (putting dough in molds) and they were impressed with the San Agustin Church, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The wife of Indonesian Vice President, Mufidah Kalla, liked my outfit and was hoping she could find it in the bazaar. The wife of Taiwan representative,  Susan Chu, said during lunch that it was a first for her to see the baked fish presented in a paper box with organic flowers. The First Lady of Japan Akie Abe said she went to summer camp many years ago and met a Filipina — Ballsy was able to connect them after all these years and pictures when they were 11-year-olds were found and exchanged,” recalls Pinky.

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Kris, who “hosted” the Singapore First Lady Ho Ching in her table was struck by the latter’s stature in global finance. The CEO of Temasek, she has 266 billion Singapore dollars in her portfolio.

“Hearing her say that roughly 350,000 to 500,000 Filipinos work in Singapore and mostly with professional jobs made me proud,” says Kris.

“Remember when we were looked down upon — now our value as a people, as hard workers who are excellent, is being given recognition,” Kris adds.

I don’t take lightly the inconvenience, and in some instances, the suffering, borne by the people to make APEC a success. It wasn’t a social event — it was an economic summit that was meant to showcase more than just our hospitality. It was a moment to train the light on our progress and continued viability as an investment destination — and it did. Trade Undersecretary Ponciano “Chito” Manalo Jr. nailed it when he said, “Global attention was given to micro, small, medium scale enterprises (MSMEs). The APEC allowed 21 economies, through the leadership of the Philippines’ Department of Trade and Industry, to collectively place front and center the plight of MSMEs in global trade. Although they comprise 99 percent of total enterprises in our country, most MSMEs are forced to remain small due to limited global market access and cumbersome trade processes. Through various APEC fora held in the Philippines — from Boracay to Iloilo to Manila — Asia Pacific economies drew out concrete mechanisms — using technology to cut down on processes, MSME financing opportunities, knowledge sharing and capacity building measures — to support MSMEs and inspire them to go out there and compete so they can be the next big thing in business.”

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And with jittery Secret Service men, the PSG and the country’s police force happy that there was no violent thrilla in Manila — we’re okay. We’re more than okay. We did it and we are able to go back to business as usual — because we’re back in business! (You may e-mail me at [email protected].)