Rachelle M. Nessia
CEBU, May 19 (PIA) -- Cebu’s hosting of this year’s APEC meetings
is expected to drive local trade and tourism.
Ambassador Marciano A. Paynor, Jr., APEC 2015 National Organizing
Committee (NOC) Director General, said that Cebu, being a manufacturing center
and an export center, will benefit from hosting some of the ministerial
meetings.
“Our total trade with APEC member economies is 80 percent, and
because Cebu is a manufacturing and an export center, then definitely Cebu is
affected by APEC policies and improvements,” said Paynor in a press conference
after his first meeting on May 14 with Cebu’s local organizing committee
members at the Capitol.
Statistics released by APEC NOC show that 80.7% of total trade and
80.81% of the total tourist arrivals in the Philippines are from APEC member
countries.
Total external trade for 2013 with APEC member countries amounted
to $96.104-B.
Cebu will be hosting a series of meetings from August 24 to
September 11, with more than 3,000 international delegates expected to be
coming in and out of Cebu during said period.
Cebu was also designated as the de facto alternate venue for any
meeting that will not be held in its assigned area due to weather issues.
“In the event that any meeting elsewhere cannot be held where they
are due to weather disturbances or natural calamities, we will transfer it
here,” said Paynor.
Cebu was chosen as the alternate venue due to the number of
facilities for conference services and hotels and the presence of an
international airport here. (rmn/PIA7-Cebu)