Saturday, December 02, 2006 State heads to use CICC site
DOUBTS on whether the Cebu International Convention Center (CICC) will be used for the Asean summit can now be put to rest after the national organizing committee (NOC) held a simulation exercise of the arrival of heads of state in the facility yesterday.
Ambassador Marciano Paynor, head of the NOC, refused to divulge the details on how many meetings will be held at the CICC. But he told reporters: “All the heads of states will be stepping in here.”
While the CICC was under construction, some sectors speculated that the facility will not be finished on time and will not be used for the gathering of leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) from Dec. 10 to 14.
“Duna gyuy mutaak diri? Salamat sa Ginoo gidungog gyud diay akong mga pag-ampo (Some people will be stepping in here? Thank God our prayers answered),” Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia said.
Paynor, secretary general of the 12th Asean summit, did a simulation of what will be his role during the opening ceremony on Dec. 10.
Paynor will be tasked to meet the heads of state when they alight from their vehicles and lead them from the ramp to the CICC main entrance, where top Cebu officials will be waiting to lead them inside the building.
Garcia and the mayors of the cities of Lapu-lapu, Mandaue and Cebu will greet the heads of state. Three congressmen will also join the welcoming party, although they were not named yesterday.
Before the arrival of the Asean leaders at the CICC, eminent personalities, including former presidents and former chairmen of the Asean, will arrive first at the facility, to be led by former Philippine president Fidel Ramos.
Only around 120 people will pass through the ramp and the CICC’s main entrance. The number already includes the eminent persons, top leaders of the Asean, their ministers, economic officers, assistant secretary for Asean affairs and ambassadors.
The rest of the officials will pass through the rear door of the CICC.
As seen in yesterday’s simulation activity, the street directly in front of the CICC will serve as parking bay for the vehicles of the eminent persons and their security when they arrive at the convention center.
During the dry run, Paynor and those who took the role of the heads of states were not only briefed on where to go, the parking area for each car was also designated.
“We are now at a point where we’ll all say, ‘let’s do this together’,” said Paynor.
Malacañang also put in place members of the Presidential Security Group (PSG) at the CICC yesterday, although Paynor refused to say how many there will be.
Personnel from the national organizing committee also came in yesterday to help Capitol with the physical arrangement and interior design.
Furniture pieces have yet to be placed at the CICC’s rooms as of yesterday. These, and the rest of the interior design, will be done soon, said Garcia.
The air conditioning system was already operational, the carpets were laid in most rooms, including the red carpet on the staircase.
Finishing touches are still being done in the plenary hall, but the rest of the floor has yet to be fully carpeted.
Most of the 74 booths within international media center already have the names of media companies that will be occupying the rooms.
More than 400 Capitol workers volunteered to help clean the CICC yesterday, which was declared a holiday.
“As we get closer to the summit days, things are getting clearer on what we have to do. We must remember that the Asean is hosted by the Philippine Government, and our role is to give our 100 percent support to the NOC,” said Garcia. (JPM)
