The realities of ASEAN

The last string of meetings for the ASEAN were held yesterday. The week went by so fast, we barely noticed how the international event that was held in Cebu passed by. By this time, the delegates have already gone home bringing with them the wave vase tokens proudly handmade in our own land.

But behind the fanfare of the meetings were certain issues that maybe only the Cebuanos know about. For one, street dwellers were rescued and kept inside the Cebu City abattoir. On the first night, a lot of them resisted and wanted to keep their comfort. The PROBE team said the clearing operation was not because of the ASEAN meetings. But you and I could tell which is which. The following day they left the abattoir and went back to doing their thing on the streets. It was more likely useless, noting that no promised food arrived for them on the day they were supposed to have it.

Dealing with the homeless is a perennial problem for any urban city. With the many enticing opportunities in Cebu, the more they come to also ride on the glory of development. Was it right to keep reality away from the visitors? It is a rather gray area, giving a different perception for our guests. It could be possible that they would give good reviews, come back of their own will and only be disappointed to come back to a different reality.

Two, the first day was met with heavy rain which resulted to floods. What a way to welcome the opening meetings. Most areas in Metro Cebu were knee-deep in floodwaters. Passengers waited for hours to get a ride to their destination and traffic was very bad. Rumors were circulating that some delegates were late to the venue because of the traffic jam. I wonder what could have been their reaction seeing these terrible problems in the metro. Last Thursday they went around the city. I hope they had something good to say with the many cultural presentations laid out for them to enjoy and appreciate.

Yet, in a nutshell, the ASEAN meetings in Cebu had a good run. People didn't really feel it, maybe because the meetings were not that many compared to APEC. Or it could be because we are too focused on the Holy Week that is to come and other issues of importance. We have made history but hope that the agreements will make our lives easier.

We may have learned a thing or two from the ASEAN meetings. My only hope is that we should face reality head-on, not shying away from the fact that there is a lot of room for improvement for everything we do. Next year, it will be a different host country and our delegates will be the visitors. I hope they only have something good to say about their stay in the Philippines.