Palace declares holidays in NCR, Pampanga, Bulacan for ASEAN Summit

The Palace façade featured on the briefing room signage (Photo By Office of the Executive Secretary – http://www.malacanang.gov.ph/, Public Domain)

MANILA — President Rodrigo Duterte has declared November 13 to 15 as special non-working holidays in Metro Manila and in the provinces of Pampanga and Bulacan to make way for the 31st Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit and Related Summits.

The declaration was made through Proclamation No. 332 which Duterte signed Monday.

The ASEAN 2017 National Organizing Council recommended the suspension of work and classes in view of the activities directly connected with the Philippine hosting of the ASEAN Summit.

The Summit and its related meetings, which will be held in Manila and Clark Field in Pampanga on November 10 to 14, will be attended by ASEAN heads of state and leaders from ASEAN Dialogue Partners — Australia, Canada, China, the European Union, India, Japan, New Zealand, Russia, South Korea and the United States.

Earlier, Malacañang confirmed the attendance of US President Donald Trump in the Summit, while Russian President Vladimir Putin is expected to skip the event.

The ASEAN Summit in November will be the final leg of the semi-annual event after the country’s successful hosting of the Summit in April that was held in Manila.

The country’s ASEAN chairmanship coincides with the 50th anniversary of the regional bloc.

The Philippines is one of the five founding members of ASEAN, along with Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand.

The theme of this year’s Summit is “Partnering for Change, Engaging the World.”