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Monday, September 11, 2006
Asean solons’ meeting to boost Cebu economy
CEBU’S tourism and the economy, in general, will get a boost with about 300 guests from Southeast Asia and Europe attending the five-day 27th General Assembly of the Asean Inter-Parliamentary Organization (Aipo) this week.
Rep. Antonio Cuenco (Cebu City south), head of the organizing committee of the regional event, said the delegates, who are booked in different hotels and resorts in Cebu, are scheduled to tour around the city for “sightseeing and shopping” on Wednesday.
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) Aipo general assembly will be held at the Marco Polo Plaza Hotel. Foreign delegates began arriving in Cebu yesterday.
“The golfers will be brought to Alta Vista Golf Club. Some of the delegates are also bringing their wives along,” Cuenco said during a media briefing held at the Marco Polo Plaza Hotel last Friday.
Aipo is an organization composed of lawmakers of countries in Southeast Asia, such as Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos and the Philippines. Delegates from Myanmar and Brunei and those from Aipo dialogue partner-countries, such as Japan, Australia, Korea, New Zealand, the European Parliament and the Russian Federation, are also joining the event.
Economists have said that international events like the Aipo assembly are opportunities for the country, especially Cebu as the host, to showcase its potentials to the attendees.
Cuenco told Sun.Star Cebu that part of the agenda that the Philippines will push during the Aipo assembly and the Asean Leaders’ Summit in December are the extradition treaty and the creation of an Asean parliament.
The Asean parliament, an initiative of Aipo president and Philippine House Speaker Jose de Venecia, is an assembly of legislators of Asean member-countries that would legislate and confirm common action on issues, such as world peace, anti-terrorism, poverty, environmental health, narcotic drug trade, cross-border crimes, human rights and social justice.
Earlier, Asian Institute of Management president Francis Estrada said the Philippine Government should grab the opportunity to assert its agenda during the Asean summit in December. (JBN)
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (September 11, 2006 issue)
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