Baguio wants to host 2015 APEC sectoral meetings

BAGUIO CITY , Philippines   â€“ This City of Pines is making a bid to host the sectoral meetings of the 2015 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, which the Philippines is hosting.

Baguio, however, is not on the initial list of locations to be visited by dignitaries attending the summit.

City officials, who were earlier criticized for “sitting down” rather than being aggressive in inviting visitors, are now asking the national organizing committee of the APEC to consider Baguio as host of the event’s sectoral meetings.

The sectoral meetings will be held from December 2014 to November 2015, prior to the leaders’ summit which will be held in November 2015.

Baguio Councilor Elmer Datuin, chairman of the committee on tourism, parks and playgrounds, believes the city has the necessary facilities to host both local and international conventions.

Records of the city tourism office show that Baguio has been successful in inviting  organizations to hold conventions and conferences in the city.

In a resolution he authored, Datuin said, “The city of Baguio can showcase the best of the Philippines in terms of its unique climate and cultural heritage which can give a participant to the convention a one-of-a kind experience.”

Datuin added that transportation will also not be a problem as the Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway (TPLEX) will already be completed by that time and travel time from Metro Manila to this city will be cut significantly.