MANILA, Philippines — Metro Manila, with its capacity to play host to thousands of guests, was the chosen venue for the biggest events of this year's Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), the Department of Foreign Affairs said.
In a state news report, Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Laura del Rosario said Metro Manila is the only place in the country that can accommodate 10,000 delegates.
Culminating APEC events—the Ministerial Meeting, CEO Summit and the Economic Leaders' Meeting—are slated next week in various venues around the metro.
Critics have questioned the decision for the country's capital to host the main APEC events given its traffic and infrastructures problems, as well as business, schools and government operations that will be disrupted.
Classes and work in most government offices, as well as most commercial flights to and from the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, have been suspended from November 17 to 20 to accommodate the arrival of delegates for the major meetings.
Prior to the top-level APEC meetings were topical gatherings on health, disaster risk reduction, finance, small enterprises held in Cebu, Boracay and Bohol, among other places.
The Philippines has hosted eight ministers' meetings and 120 working group meetings that attended by some 7,000 delegates from member economies Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, China, Hong Kong-China, Indonesia, Japan, Republic of Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Philippines, Russia, Singapore, Chinese Taipei, Thailand, United States and Vietnam. — with PNA and Camille Diola, Philstar.com
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