PH pulling out all stops for ADB meeting

MANILA, Philippines – Over 4,300 very important persons in the world of finance will be in the Philippines on May 2-5 for the 45th Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors of the Asian Development Bank, and the government is pulling out all the stops to make sure that they will have a great time.

Even their spouses have not been overlooked, with the government hosting a number of tours in and around the city to give them a better sense of what the Philippines is all about.

According to the Department of Finance, which is leading the government preparations for the Manila 2012 meeting, the packaged tours and activities were designed to include a mix of culture, history as well as shopping for the “accompanying persons” of the ADB delegates.

Finance Secretary Cesar V. Purisima said in a briefing for Philippine Daily Inquirer editors and reporters that the government developed the tour program for the spouses as part of the “coming out party” of the Philippines. He said he hoped that by showing the spouses a good time in the country, they would be encouraged to come back and even encourage their friends to also visit the Philippines.

Under the “Journey to Our Past” package, guests will be taken to the historic district of Intramuros in the city of Manila. Among the places to be visited are Fort Santiago, San Agustin Church and Casa Manila. Guests can also choose to visit the Metropolitan Museum of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, which houses some of the country’s national treasures, as well as Rizal Monument, among the most famous landmarks in the Philippines.

There is also a tour titled “A Glimpse of Philippine Heritage, Pre-colonial Treasures and Development”, which will take the guest to the Ayala Museum, Bonifacio Global City and the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial, which is the largest cemetery in the Pacific for fallen American and Filipino soldiers.

Guests who would like to do some shopping instead can opt for the “Reminisce and Explore” package, which includes a visit to the Asian Development Bank headquarters and the nearby Tiendesitas shopping center operated by Ortigas and Co.

Tiendesitas is described as “a collection of little stores depicting Filipino architecture, offering the best buys in the Philippines and showcasing the best Philippine products from the three main islands groups that are not usually distributed in retail stores.”

Those who want to venture farther afield also have a number of tours to choose from.

The “Sacrifice, Heroism and Freedom” tour, for example, will take visitors to the tadpole-shaped island of Corregidor, which figured prominently during World War II, being the site of one of the fiercest battles in Asia-Pacific.

Then there’s the “Panorama and the Quaint Old Town” tour that includes a viewing of Taal Volcano – the smallest volcano in the world – and a visit to the quaint old town of Taal in Batangas that is full of historical sites, from old houses to churches and buildings dating back to the late 16th century.

Foodies may choose to go for the “Craftsmanship, Industry and Culinary” tour of Pampanga, which is known for its culinary expertise. And aside from the food, guests will also be taken to the San Guillermo Parish Church and the town of Betis, which is known for its elaborately carved furniture. Guests may also want to take home a typical parol made in Pampanga.

Another option is to take the “Beautiful Countryside Experience and Art” tour that features a visit to Villa Escudero and the shop of Ugu Bigyan, who is known for his pottery skills.

Finally there’s the “Rediscovering the North, Adventure and Eco Tour” that will take guests to the former Subic Bay Naval Base and Clark Air Base, which have since been transformed into thriving free port zones.