He pointed out that even without the summit, there will be many people then.
“The devotees cannot be stopped,” he said.
Before, Ouano preferred that no holiday be declared during the four-day summit because the manufacturing, exporting and banking sectors will be at the losing end.
He had clashed with Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña over the presidential proclamation making Dec. 11 to 14 a holiday for all sectors as part of security measures and to decongest traffic.
The summit was moved to next month because of typhoon Seniang, which brought heavy rain in Cebu last Friday.
But the mayor said yesterday that the scenario in January is different from December.
He said that there will be no more holiday rush to meet production deadlines.
Ouano will bring up his recommendation before the summit national organizing committee.
However, he said that certain factors have to be weighed, including the possibility of granting banks an exemption from the holiday.
Organizers have tentatively scheduled the summit on Jan. 8-13.
Last month, the Cebu Bankers Club asked for a “partial observance” of the holiday declared in the cities of Cebu, Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu during the Asean summit.
The group said that the holidays and the weekend will mean at least six days without banking services.
Their request came a month after President Arroyo agreed in principle to exempt Cebu exporters from the holiday.
Malacañang later revised its declaration and made the holiday applicable only to government offices and schools in all levels.
Meanwhile, civilian organizations attending the 2nd Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) Civil Society Conference (ACSC 2) in Cebu City were told to fight hard so that their interests as well as that of the communities they represent will be reflected in the Asean Charter.
“The Asean Charter will certainly promote the interests of the elite as well as that of the business sector, we (civil society) have to fight hard that our interests are protected in the Charter as well”, said Charles Santiago of the Malaysian NGO Monitoring Sustainability of Globalization Network.
The Asean Charter, or at least its blueprint or outline, is one of the key documents expected to be approved during the Asean summit.
The ACSC 2, which continued to hold its meeting in Cebu City despite the cancellation of the 12th Asean Leaders’ Summit, is on its third and final day of sessions participated in by more than 300 delegates from non-government organizations (NGOs) and the academe, not only from the Asean member-states and incoming Asean member Timor Leste but also from countries throughout the world. (AAG/(Sunnex)
