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MANILA, Philippines -- President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is flying to Hong Kong Monday night to join Georgetown University classmate, former US President Bill Clinton, and other world leaders for the annual Clinton Global Initiative (CGI).
Press Secretary Jesus Dureza said on Sunday Clinton invited Arroyo to “share her insights” on pressing problems in Asia during the two-day conference which was set to start Tuesday.
Dureza said Ms Arroyo would be the second speaker after Clinton during the first plenary meeting on Tuesday. He said she would fly back to Manila on Wednesday.
The Hong Kong meet marks the first time the CGI will be held outside the United States to craft global strategies in education, energy and climate change, and public health.
“We all know the President is a leader in the advocacy for the poor and vulnerable among nations, especially in (light of) the economic crisis,” said Dureza in an interview over dzRB radio.
“Her advocacy has to continue, especially now that there is the global problem,” he said.
“She’ll share our experiences, especially on how she provided our economic reform agenda, which is paying off despite the problems the world is facing today,” he said.
The administration partly credits the country’s riding out the world financial crisis up to this point to unpopular economic strategies such as the expanded value-added tax (VAT).
“After she relinquishes the presidency in 2010, it seems our country will be prepared to weather the crisis if it will come our way,” Dureza said.
He did not say if Arroyo would hold talks with other world leaders on the sidelines of the Clinton gathering. But he did say she was usually the one who took advantage of such gatherings for “pull-aside meetings.”
“She’s one of the strongest salesladies of the country,” he said.
In the area of climate change, the CGI will tackle the “greening of cities and buildings, the value of natural resources, and the development of green technology and renewable energy,” according to the forum’s official website.
“Rising energy prices and consensus about the grave consequences of climate change have resulted in a dramatic shift in political priorities,” it said.
“Energy security and global agreement on how to reduce greenhouse gas emissions now have urgent significance in Asia,” it said.
