Hosting APEC seen to boost local tourism, economy

CLARK FREEPORT - The Philippines' hosting of the ongoing Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) 2015 is seen to boost local economies and tourist destinations, an official said Friday.

Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary Charles Jose, who is also the APEC 2015 spokesperson, said the Philippine government decided to hold the APEC meetings in different cities and provinces to promote them as possible destinations for trade, tourism and investment.

"Locally speaking, by hosting APEC and holding different meetings in various cities and provinces, we try to highlight these local communities in order to spur economic growth and empower these local communities," Jose said at the sidelines of the first APEC senior officials' meeting (SOM1) at Clark Freeport, Pampanga.

"We are promoting our cities to become regional hubs for trade and investment," he added.

Jose said the APEC venues across the nation would need to develop infrastructure, which would then lead to increased economic activity, employment and income, consumption and production.

"It's an economic chain that will ultimately redound to local communities," said Jose.

The APEC 2015 Summit kicked off on Dec. 1, 2014, during which President Benigno Aquino III led the opening ceremonies.

Various APEC meetings will be held across the country in preparation for the World Leaders' Summit on November 17 and 18 in Manila.

The APEC SOM1 started last January 26 in Subic, Zambales and will be wrapped up tomorrow at Clark.

There were 1,600 registered delegates, almost 900 of which were foreign.

The SOM2 will be held in Boracay in May. Other APEC venues are Bataan, Albay, Tagaytay City, Iloilo, Bacolod City and Cebu.

What the Philippines could gain from APEC

Jose said "there are many ways" that the Philippines could benefit from its APEC membership and from the activities of APEC.

"We are able to benefit from APEC through the work that APEC is doing which are centrally focused on three main areas: trade and investment liberalization, business facilitation, and economic and technical cooperation," Jose said in a press briefing.

For trade and investment liberalization, Jose said policy reforms could make the Philippines' trade and investment regimes "more open and free."

In terms of business facilitation, APEC will make it easier to do business in the Philippines by introducing regulatory reforms, Jose said.

For technical cooperation, Jose said the Philippines will benefit through capacity-building in terms of trainings and seminars.