THE benefits of Philippine hosting the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) meetings may not be immediately felt, but it could be in the long run, an Apec spokesperson said.
Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Assistant Secretary Charles Jose said in a press briefing on Thursday, September 3, that both Cebu and the Philippines will benefit from the hosting and the effects have already been felt in Cebu even during the preparation for the summit.
“Additional jobs have been created as a result of the increased influx of visitors. Outside their meetings, delegates have been going around the province and even neighboring islands, empowering businesses and boosting tourism. Local farmers have also been able to bring home extra income, as a result of the increased demand from hotels and restaurants,” Jose said.
The spokesperson said that Apec meetings have helped increase the quantity of infrastructure and improved the quality of product and services in the country that could be aligned with international standards and could be used for future events.
While Cebu’s hosting caused road closures and truck bans, Jose asked the patience and understanding of all those affected, saying these changes are necessary to decongest the delegates’ routes as they travel between meeting venues.
“We recognize that these changes have consequences for local businesses as well as residents’ everyday lives, but we also wish to emphasize that Cebu stands to reap many benefits from this hosting,” Jose said.
“In the long term, such openness bodes well for Cebu’s development prospects, especially now that it is becoming known as a destination for international meetings like Apec,” he added.
Jose said that as a result generated by Apec, more investments are also expected to come in, besides similar anticipated increases in tourist arrivals.
One of the thrust of Apec is trade liberalization, which Jose said is a policy decision activity that involves lowering the tariffs for goods and services.
“Of course, consumers will benefit once we lower the tariff; that means, we will have a cheaper goods and services to us,” he said.
Jose also cited the plan of Cebu Governor Hilario Davide III to open more free port zones to increase trade between the Philippines and other economic activities.
Cebu is hosting the 3rd Senior Official’s Meeting (SOM3) and Related Meetings from August 22 to September 6 in which 70 out 87 meetings have already been completed.
Jose hopes that the improvement in the peace and order situation seen during the hosting could be sustained even after the Apec meetings. (Sunnex)