GMA declares Dec. 11-14 holidays in Cebu for Asean summit

The annual ASEAN leaders’ summit will take place in the province of Cebu on Dec. 11 to 14, which will be declared non-working holidays, President Arroyo said yesterday.

The Philippines is supposed to take the helm of the alphabetically rotating chairmanship of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) next year after Myanmar said it would forgo its chance to host the summit amid pressure over the continued detention of democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

The Philippines will take over the ASEAN chairmanship from Malaysia at the summit that gathers leaders from Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

The summit will tackle various issues affecting the region — from terrorism to avian flu — officials said.

"The ASEAN summit will be held in the cities of Cebu, Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu," the President said in a speech during a visit to Cebu, a major tourist destination.

"I hope you will use this opportunity to go to the beaches of Cebu and other beautiful spots in the Visayas and in the Philippines because all doors, all roads will lead to Cebu during that period," Mrs. Arroyo said.

"I hope that all roads will also lead outside of Cebu for those who need to see the rest of the country because, when you see the rest of the country, you will know why Cebu is really a pearl of our country," she added.

The President earlier appointed Ambassador to Canada Francisco Benedicto as undersecretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA). Benedicto has been tasked with spearheading the preparations for the ASEAN, ASEAN Plus Three and the Second East Asia summits in Cebu.

Benedicto was recalled from Canada to assume his new post.

Government Mass Media Group head Secretary Cerge Remonde said the preparations for these summits must begin early to ensure the events’ success.

The President originally wanted the summits to take place in Clark, Pampanga, as will be recalled from her statements in April last year. However, by late October, Mrs. Arroyo decided that the summits would be held in Cebu.

The ASEAN Plus Three summit will see the participation of the 10 ASEAN member nations and Japan, China and South Korea.

The East Asia summit will see participation from the ASEAN Plus Three and New Zealand and Australia.

The President also noted the rise of new hotels in the province of Cebu as she urged local officials there to build more tourism facilities because Cebu has become a "tourist magnet."

With its resources, infrastructure and tourism facilities, Cebu has become a "strong island" and could be a model for a "strong republic," she said.

Last year, half of the Philippines’ 2.4 million foreign tourists went to Cebu, which is renowned for its white sand beaches, grilled seafood, colorful festivals and historical sites, particularly the site of Magellan’s Cross, where Spanish missionaries first set foot on Philippine soil.

This year, Mrs. Arroyo said, tourism officials expect that, of the 2.7 million expected tourist arrivals, 75 percent will seek the sunny skies, sinugba (grilled seafood) and white-sand beaches for which Cebu is famous. — Aurea Calica, AFP