Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (C) greets performers upon arriving at Clark International airport in Pampanga province, north of Manila on November 12, 2017 to attend the 31st Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit. World leaders arrive in the Philippines’ capital for two days of summits beginning on November 13. / AFP PHOTO / MANAN VATSYAYANA
CLARK FREEPORT ZONE—Eleven world leaders have arrived at the Clark International Airport here in the past two days to attend the three-day Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) Summit in Manila.
Under the scorching heat of the sun, nine leaders from Asean member states and its dialogue partners have landed here on Sunday and two on Saturday to take part in the 31st Asean Summit and Related Summits that will be held from Monday to Wednesday.
The following world leaders have arrived here:
Saturday
Cambodia – Prime Minister Hun Sen
Myanmar – State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi
Sunday
Laos – Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith
Indonesia – President Joko Widodo
Malaysia – Prime Minister Najib Razak
Singapore – Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong
New Zealand – Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern
Canada – Prime Minister Justin Trudeau
Thailand – Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha
Australia – Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull
Vietnam – Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc
The leaders were warmly received with arrival honors by Cabinet officials, Department of Foreign Affairs dignitaries, military officials, and local officials in Pampanga.
They were also welcomed by 2,000 dancing children in colorful traditional costumes and a military marching band.
The rest of the other world leaders chose to land in Manila but there were no ceremonies to welcome them and the media coverage of their arrivals were disallowed by the organizers.
The leaders that reportedly arrived in Manila were from: Brunei, China, European Union, Japan, South Korea, and Russia.
United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres arrived via commercial flight.
All world leaders participating in the Asean Summit were originally slated to arrive at the Pampanga airport but changed the last minute because of requests from some parties.
“Mayroon kasi sa kanila nakiusap sa kanila na baka pwedeng sa Manila na mag-landing at ‘yan ay decision na ng [National Organizing Committee] kung bakit ‘dun na dumating,” Clark International Airport Corp. (CIAC) President and CEO Alexander Caugiran told the media in an interview.
(There were some of them who requested if they could land in Manila and it was already the call of the NOC to allow it.)
Nonetheless, Caugiran said, the CIAC was ready to accommodate all the leaders. /je