Apec Senior Officials’ Meeting kicks off in Cebu

The Third Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Senior Officials’ Meeting kicks off at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Cebu on Saturday. PHOTO BY APEC2015 MEDIA OPERATIONS COMMITTEE

CEBU CITY — The 21-member economies of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) must be “resolute to improve the lives of our people” amid global challenges of globalization.

Thus said Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Laura Del Rosario in her opening remarks during the Third Apec Senior Offficials’ Meeting (SOM3) at the Radisson Blu Hotel here.

“We must be resolute that our efforts to improve lives of our people cannot be stifled,” Del Rosario said.

She said member economies of the Apec must provide creative solutions to “create clear vision for the people of Apec.

Senior officials of the 21-member economies attend a series of meetings to discuss new initiatives on inclusive growth, issues on health and the economy, the public-private dialogue on water and the symposium on urbanization, among others.

“We will tackle problems such as how we can move the direction of services, which grew steadily in recent years,” said Del Rosario, who is also the chair of the SOM.

She said that trade between economies had been in existence even before globalization has taken place, citing that the Philippines is commemorating the 450th anniversary of start of the Manila-Acapulco galleon trade this 2015.

“Today, we also find new routes toward achieving sustainable growth—just as Magellan chartered new route to PH,” she said.

“We hope that the vision of inclusive growth will become our “north star” as we go forward with our meetings,” she said.

Apec has 21 member economies, namely Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Chile, People’s Republic of China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Republic of South Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Republic of the Philippines, Russia, Singapore, Chinese Taipei (Taiwan), Thailand, the United States and Vietnam. Nestor Corrales, INQUIRER.net/CDG