WEF for East Asia is perfect opportunity for PHL – Angara

Former senator Edgardo Angara. Photo from Angara’s Facebook page.

MANILA – Former senator Edgardo Angara on Sunday said the hosting of the 2014 World Economic Forum (WEF) for East Asia is a perfect opportunity for the Philippines to showcase the country’s economic performance.

”This is a perfect opportunity for the Philippines because attendees are the high and mighty of the business leaders from both developing and developed countries,” Angara said in a radio dzBB interview.

Angara said the government should maximize every opportunity that the economic forum can offer to further enhance the country’s economic growth achieved under the administration of President Benigno Aquino III.

”This happens only in a decade that the economic forum of the world will be brought to our shore. If I were in charge, I will mobilize all sectors, friends and business and civic groups. There is so much at stake here,” Angara, former University of the Philippines (UP) president, said.

Aside from world business leaders, Indonesia President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, Vietnam Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung and Myanmar Vice President U Nyan Tun are reportedly scheduled to attend the forum to be held May 21-23 at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) in Pasay City.

”Heads of states will be coming. They are our natural allies. This is good opportunity to win the support of business leadership of the world,” Angara said.

At least 600 business and civil society leaders from 30 countries will be in town to attend the WEF to be held in the Philippines for the first time.

The WEF is an international institution committed to improving the state of the world through public-private cooperation in the spirit of global citizenship.

Themed “Leveraging Growth for Equitable Progress,” the WEF participants will discuss the opportunities of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) Economic Community which will be launched in 2015.

The ASEAN member countries include: the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia and Brunei.

The participants are reportedly set to deliberate plans and programs in achieving equitable progress, advancing models for sustainable growth, and realizing regional connectivity.