ILOILO City will host the 2015 Urban Environmental Accord (UEA) Summit September 15-17, five days before the Ministerial Meetings of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec).
The UEA Summit is a follow-up of the city’s highly successful hosting of the 1st International River Summit in 2012 and to be participated by 53 countries with 300 delegates from Asia and the Pacific including some countries in Europe and the western hemisphere.
Delegates from some 200 cities all over the world are expected to participate in the environmental summit that aims to encourage environmental protection and preservation of urban centers.
The last summit was held in Texas, United States of America in 2013.
The city environment and natural resources office (Cenro) is in-charge of preparations for the UEA Summit proposed to be held at the newly constructed Iloilo Convention Center as a dry-run for the APEC hosting.
Iloilo City is a signatory to UEA and Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog was elected member to the UEA Board, as the only Filipino mayor serving such position.
The environmental summit will boost the city's growing potentials as ideal convention destination as well as to attract tourists and prospective investors to an urban center.
The city will share its own environmental protection programs and showcase successful initiatives such as the Iloilo River, wetland and bird sanctuary, and cultural heritage.