Wednesday, January 10, 2007 Neither rains nor threats By Jeanette P. Malinao Sun.Star Staff Reporter
NEITHER the weather nor the threat of terrorist attacks will keep the Philippines from hosting the 12th Asean summit in Cebu starting this Friday, officials assured yesterday.
Organizers are banking on what little chance there is for sunshine when the heads of state and government come for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) summit, but Ambassador Marciano Paynor Jr. said that like farmers, they will welcome the rain as it comes.
Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia, however, did the Cebuano tradition of offering eggs, food and other goods to the Carmelite nuns, the Pink Sisters and the sisters at the Poor Clare Monastery to help pray for good weather from Jan. 12 to 15.
Even Paynor believes in the tradition of offering eggs for good weather, and asked for a successful Asean summit as his only birthday wish when he turned 58 yesterday.
Garcia called on the Cebuanos to have “positive anticipation and eagerness” for the summit.
“It’s going to happen and how we treat it greatly depends upon us and the outcome will also depend upon us. Let’s show the rest of Asia that we can stand up in spite of setbacks and obstacles, that we are determined to focus on a commitment and we can make the country proud,” the governor said.
Contrasts
Hotels and other major players in the summit are not even dwelling on the losses because of last December’s postponement, added Garcia, since it was a “normal part of the ups and downs in business” and that they look forward to the immeasurable gains of the event.
“Let us join hands and pray for good weather,” said Garcia.
With the numerous questions on terror attacks during yesterday’s press briefing at the Cebu International Convention Center (CICC), Assistant Secretary General for Security Leo Alvez reiterated that they have not received any specific threat.
But Alvez said they have asked their legal department to be on alert for any possible legal issue the police may encounter because of the checkpoints they will conduct.
All country delegations that were expected to attend last December are still joining this week’s summit, organizers said.
Paynor told local and foreign press that travel advisories have no impact on the summit, and even the countries that issued the advisories are sending delegations to the gathering.
Targets
Nine foreign ministers, including those from Japan and Korea, will fly in today while the rest will arrive tomorrow.
Authorities will make sure that the no-fly zone declaration over Cebu’s air will not affect businesses, as this will only apply to students’ flying lessons and smaller aircraft that are not part of Cebu’s business activities.
During the summit, the Philippines will push for a borderless Asean community as it moves for the signing of an agreement that will make other countries recognize the license of Philippine nurses, and vice versa.
Another important agenda is the extradition of terrorists and other criminals among member-countries.
