ASEAN Summit organizers seek holiday exemptions for some sectors

CEBU — The organizing committee of the 12th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit has recommended to Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita exemptions for certain sectors from the four-day holiday declared by President Arroyo in the cities of Cebu, Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu during the event.

The organizers are asking that manufacturing companies and banks be exempted from the declaration, but other sectors can also be included if there would also be a clamor for such.

Ambassador Marciano Paynor, who sits as the secretary-general of the national organizing committee (NOC) and concurrent chairman of the Cebu organizing committee (COC), however, said there is no assurance that the request can be granted.

Until such time that the President issues an order on the exemption, the holiday declaration stands for everyone.

Paynor said they have reached a consensus that certain sectors should be exempted from the Malacañang declaration of a special non-working holiday on Dec. 11-14, in view of the economic and labor implications of the holiday.

Paynor said the Office of the Executive Secretary has asked them about the concerns of the businessmen.

"It is our consensus, I believe, that certain sectors should be exempted, in particular the manufacturing companies. They have deadlines to beat. If their workers come, they have to pay double if they’re not exempted. And if they close in accordance with the presidential proclamation, their workers will not be paid," he said.

Paynor said a win-win solution must be in place and that is by granting exemptions to the manufacturing and banking sectors, but at the same time they have to ensure that the conduct of the summit will not be affected.

In view of the request for exemptions, contingency measures are in place, including the identification of an alternate route for the workers of the Mactan Export Processing Zone.

"It will give them a bit of inconvenience. But what’s a bit of inconvenience considering the total picture. After all, this is a national event and everyone wants to contribute a bit," he said.

In the joint meeting of the NOC and the COC at the Cebu City Marriott Hotel the other day, Paynor said they are 98 percent done with their preparations.

The remaining two percent covers dry-runs to make sure that the flow of traffic and the transport of leaders from where they are staying to meeting points, and from one meeting to another will be smooth.

Paynor said the traffic dry-run will be conducted anytime next week but he will not disclose the specific date.

There will be a total of 95 events that will be held in Cebu during the summit, although Paynor said they have yet to finalize the specific venues of these events.

He said what made them re-identify the event venues was the decision to hold the ASEAN Plus Three Summit in Cebu last week.

Confirmed to attend the summit are the leaders of the 10 ASEAN member-countries, plus the leaders of China, Korea, Japan, India, Australia, and New Zealand.

The leaders of East Timor and France have also confirmed attendance for the signing the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation.

The European Union has also indicated that it might send representatives.

With only about P4 million allotted for the spouses’ program during the summit, Cebu City is making sure the expenditures will be within the budget.

Mayor Tomas Osmeña said his wife, Margot, vice chairwoman of the spouses’ committee, is doing her best to reduce the expenditures by seeking the help of private organizations. Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Francisco Benedicto heads the committee.

A private firm will reportedly sponsor the construction of a P900,000 monument at the Friendship Park, while the Aboitiz group of companies has pledged to spend for the construction of a waiting shed.

Meanwhile, Bigfoot Asia Pacific Foundation Inc. founder Michael Gleissner will reportedly sponsor the food for the 3,000 dancers participating in the city tour for the first ladies.

With three events in Cebu City alone, the city government has budgeted only P1.5 million compared to P1.10 million that Lapu-Lapu City has reportedly budgeted for just a luncheon.

Aside from the contingency measures, Cebu City would also spend for the buses that the first ladies would use for the tour.

It will be walk down memory lane for the first ladies as a pre-Hispanic atmosphere will greet them during the first day at the Lapu-Lapu shrine where the historical Kadaugan sa Mactan will be re-enacted.

In the afternoon, the ladies will be whisked off to the Malacañang sa Sugbu, which will bear a Hispanic atmosphere and showcase the different products of Cebu, especially its world-class furniture.

In another development, students in the cities of Cebu, Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu will have a one-week vacation during the summit.

In compliance with Presidential Proclamation 1032, Cebu City school superintendent Leonilo Oliva said Department of Education’s regional director Carolino Mordeno issued a memorandum informing the three school divisions of the special non-working holiday on Dec. 11-14, which means there will be no classes in the three cities on Dec. 11-15. - With Joeberth Ocao and Jasmin Uy/ Freeman News Service