If was fever-pitch the last time a summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) was here in January 2007.
Back then, all national and local government offices moved heaven and earth to prepare for the event. Enormous public funds were poured into Cebu to ensure that delegates would be super impressed with the Philippine hosting.
Remember the scandal on the Asean lamp posts? Some local officials were accused of having taken advantage of the huge funding for that event such that they thought of beautifying our streets by installing fancy-looking lamps all over Metro Cebu which were eventually proven to have been overpriced.
Such was the frenzy that Cebu’s hosting of the 2007 Asean Summit brought. Which now begs the question: how come we don’t feel or see such feverish preparations for the 2026 Asean Summit that the Philippines will once again host this coming Jan. 28 to 31?
The event has been announced long before, with the completion of the Mactan Expo Center in Lapu-Lapu City heralding the forthcoming visit of Southeast Asian leaders to Cebu. The facility itself boasts of being a symbol of Cebu’s role in regional diplomacy, being in a township that offers integrated amenities for living, business and leisure, including hotels with their own beachfronts.
But outside of that main facility, we haven’t seen other buildings being constructed for the summit.
It will be remembered that back in 2007, the Mactan-Cebu International Airport Authority built the so-called Most Important Persons Lounge just to serve as the welcome and departure area for the Asean heads of state. It was furnished with the most exquisite Cebu-made furniture and interior décor, its walls filled with the works of famous Cebuano artists.
In Mandaue City, the Cebu Provincial Government also built the Cebu International Convention Center (CICC) for the 2007 Asean. Some minor summit activities were held in the facility, which also featured many Cebu-made products for the delegates to see and appreciate.
Never mind if the CICC eventually fell into disrepair. The point is that the government spent so much for that summit, believing that Cebu had to really spread its red carpet to all of its delegates.
In fact, local government units in Cebu did the same with equal vigor. At that time, our center islands and sidewalks were so beautifully landscaped you’d wonder if you were actually in Cebu. Tourist spots were prepped up to the max for many delegates and their spouses who went on side tours.
But today, none of these things seem to be happening anymore. I refuse to believe that this is a problem of funds since our government surely has enough to spend for this Asean hosting; otherwise, it would have declined and passed on the burden to the next country in line.
It would be such a terrible waste of opportunity for local and national government agencies in Cebu not to avail themselves of the earmarked resources meant for this Asean Summit.
This event might as well be as good a time as any to avail of government funds to clean up our surroundings, beautify our streets and generally uplift our sagging morale as a community and country. For as long as there won’t be a repeat of the lamp post scandal, that is.