Cebu gears up for APEC Summit

CEBU, Philippines - Cebu and the organizing committee of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit are now “firming up” their preparations and arrangements for the province’s hosting of the series of APEC ministerial meetings to be held less than six months from now.

Patrick Hilado, assistant to the Deputy Director General for Conference management services of the APEC National Organizing Committee, said they are now reaching out to the different stakeholders in Cebu to ensure the successful hosting of APEC meetings.

“We are now busy. Talagang groundwork na siya kasi… More or less tuloy na tayo for Cebu. We need to coordinate with different sectors,” he told reporters during the APEC preparation meeting yesterday at the Capitol.

He said they have not encountered any major problems so far while doing the preparations and coordination with the involved local government units and other sectors.

“The hospitality that has been shown to our National Organizing Council here by private sector and the government has been excellent. We are confident that Cebu will do a great job. Cebu has lot of experience in hosting international conventions,” he added.

The organizing committee set August 24 to September 6 this year for the transportation, finance, energy, and structural reforms ministerial meetings in Cebu.

The series of meetings will be followed finally by the meeting of the heads of state towards the end of the year in Manila.

Philippines has been a member of APEC for the past 25 years. It first hosted the summit in 1996.

Provincial Tourism Officer Grace Paulino, in a separate interview, reported that the local and national organizing committees have identified the hotels where the delegates will be billeted and the venues of the ministerial meetings.

She added that Governor Hilario Davide III will have to call for a meeting for the members of the local committee, including the Department of Public Works and Highways, Philippine National Police, and the involved city governments of Lapu-Lapu, Mandaue, and Cebu. — (FREEMAN)