Philippines initiatives get support from APEC members

CLARK FREEPORT, Pampanga , Philippines – The First Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM1) held here was conducted with a momentum for future discussions significant to each member-economy, Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Laura del Rosario said yesterday.

She said the initiatives being pushed by the Philippines have garnered wide support from other member-economies of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC).

Del Rosario, chairman of the SOM, said among these initiatives are the development of the APEC Trade Repository that is expected to contribute to transparency and trade facilitation.

“We have also set the stage for the development of an SME Action Plan to foster the participation of SMEs in regional and global markets,” Del Rosario said, referring to small- and medium-sized enterprises.

APEC members also agreed to push for the formulation of the APEC Services Cooperation Framework to build the competitiveness of the services sector and provide a common direction and coherence to the APEC’s trade of services.

“We are looking to achieve all this and more by the end of our host year,” Del Rosario said.

The two-day meeting of senior officials has set the way forward for APEC-wide policy direction, integrating all the work being done in APEC’s committees, working groups and other forums, she said.

The Philippines’ host year revolves around the agenda of inclusive growth, Del Rosario pointed out.

She said the meeting was tied up to four major priorities that the country has crafted: enhancing regional economic integration, fostering SME participation in regional and global markets, investing in human capital and building resilient communities.

The APEC though has no specific anti-terrorism action plan as of now but it was a suggested possible item for discussion, according to Del Rosario.

She said it will be up to the experts in the anti-terrorist group to discuss a framework or action plan on anti-terrorism.

“It is their call but right now, as for a specific action plan, there was no report that came up to the senior officials. There was no formal report on that. It was just suggested as a possible item for discussion,” Del Rosario told a press briefing as the 2015 APEC SOM1 held here wrapped up yesterday.

The Philippines chairs the APEC in 2015.

“Now whether that issue will come again in the second discussion of the anti-terrorist group we will have to watch. We will have to wait for that. It was just something that was suggested but it was not a formal item for discussion yet,” she said. – Pia Lee-Brago