Traffic-free during APEC

In a couple of weeks from now, the Philippines will be hosting anew the annual Asia-Pacific Economic (APEC) Leaders’ summit. This will be the second time that our country will play host of this yearly powwow among APEC leaders. The first time was in November 24-25, 1996, during the term of former President Fidel Ramos.

The APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting (AELM) actually is only a two-day event (November 18-19) when all of the respective heads of member-economies gather together and sit down to discuss the prepared agenda for the year. As of last count, there are currently 21 member-economies of APEC.

As the host country this year, President Benigno “Noy” Aquino III will have the singular honor to preside this meeting of fellow APEC leaders who include some of the super power countries like the US, China, Russia, Japan, and Australia. China hosted the AELM last year at a time our bilateral relations with them were deteriorating due to our overlapping maritime row in South China Sea.

China has insisted on its nine-dash claim over islets, islands, reefs, shoals and atolls in the South China Sea that overlaps with the 200-mile exclusive economic zone of the Philippines. With full approval of President Aquino, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) formally lodged our protests of China’s reclamation of areas within our West Philippine Sea before the international tribunal of the United Nations.

But this long-standing maritime dispute between the Philippines and China did not – and should not – get into the way of the APEC summit as in the past annual meetings. In fact, President Aquino attended the APEC summit held in Beijing last year when his Chinese counterpart ceremonially turned over to him the hosting of the next AELM in Manila.

President Aquino promised yesterday to be a “perfect host” to Chinese President Xi Jinping if the latter decides to attend the APEC summit in Manila. And the same warm welcome will be accorded to each and every head of state coming here for the APEC summit, President Aquino told the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines (FOCAP) at Solaire Hotel in Parañaque City.

While the two leaders did not have any sit-down talks in between official meetings at the APEC summit in Beijing last year, President Aquino, however, cited he had a brief tete-a-tete with President Xi on the sidelines. There is no set “four-eyes” meeting also for the two leaders in APEC Manila.

There is no official word from Beijing yet whether President Xi would be coming to Manila for the APEC summit, P-Noy admitted.

”But we are very open to it (bilateral talks with the leader of China). But there are others that have already indicated that they want bilateral discussions, including those who will be coming on state visits before the launch of APEC,” President Aquino added.

This includes Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto who is arriving on November 17 for a state visit on the eve of the APEC summit. The Mexican president will be hosted at Solaire Hotel of the Bloomberry Resorts, which is owned by ports magnate Ricky Razon whose ICTSI also operates one of his international ports in Mexico.

Another APEC leader, Chile President Michelle Bachelet is also making a state visit in Manila. There is no formal announcement yet.

President Aquino will formally turn over to Peruvian President Ollanta Humala the task of hosting next year’s APEC.

From Washington, the White House formally announced yesterday the forthcoming trip to Manila of US President Barack Obama to attend the APEC summit. Mr. Obama previously made a state visit to Manila. He is first flying to Turkey to attend the G-20 Summit, then proceed to Manila for the APEC, and from here, he will go to Malaysia to participate in the US-ASEAN Summit.

This year’s summit of the ASEAN (Association of South East Asian Nations) will be the last for outgoing President Aquino. As one of the ten-member states of the ASEAN, the Philippine leader will attend this annual summit to be held in Kuala Lumpur next month and perhaps might be President Aquino’s final trip abroad this year.

With the biggest event yet taking place during the last few months of his watch, President Aquino is making sure the government is on top of preparations for the APEC summit.

Our police and military authorities have joined forces to ensure the safety of our international guests from all around the world.

The Philippine National Police (PNP) got a head start – of sorts – with the promotion in July this year of Director-General Ricardo Marquez. As early as in May last year, he was designated to head the Special Task Force for APEC. Marquez also headed the Special Task Force that secured the visit in the Philippines of Pope Francis in January this year.

For the past weeks, security advisers of all the participating APEC leaders have come here to inspect and coordinate with our PNP and other Philippine government officials and they include ambassador Marciano Paynor Jr., director-general of the APEC National Organizing Committee. Amb.Paynor is no stranger to APEC. He handled the APEC summit we hosted in 1996 during the Ramos watch. President Aquino is the fourth president that Paynor has been assisting in the annual APEC summits.

Unlike our previous hosting of the 1996 APEC summit, there are no special accommodations constructed for the leaders attending this year’s meeting. During the Ramos administration, villas were put up at the Subic Bay where the summit proper was held. The villas were later sold and privatized.

For the past few months, all roads and places in Metro Manila have seen major beautification and refurbishments, especially around the areas in Roxas Boulevard. This is because the summit proper will be held at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) in Pasay City.

We will get into more details of the APEC preparations in today’s Kapihan sa Manila Bay at the Luneta Hotel. We have invited Department of Trade and Industry Sec. Gregory Domingo, Amb. Paynor and Police Director Manny Gaerlan who will talk about traffic and rerouting plans during APEC period. Since President Aquino suspended classes at all levels and government offices, we can expect traffic-free travel in Metro Manila. For that we can thank the APEC summit.