ASEAN Summit is perfect occasion to promote PHL—Palace

MANILA—With over 100 summits and conferences to be held nationwide, the Philippines’ hosting of the 2017 Association of Southeast Asian Nation (ASEAN) Summit 2017 will serve as perfect opportunity to expose the country to the world, a Palace official said on Wednesday.

“It will be a perfect for us because the media exposure is free for the Philippines and there are so many delegates,” Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Secretary Martin Andanar said in an interview with ABS-CBN Network’s morning showing Umagang Kay Ganda.

Andanar said tourism will benefit more with the Philippines’ whole year round chairmanship of the ASEAN Summit 2017.

He said the ASEAN 2017 will also be a good occasion to show to the world how the Philippines’ 7 percent gross domestic product (GDP) became one of the fastest in the world.

“Tourism-wise and also because our GDP is 7 percent. It’s time to show to the delegates from around the world why we have 7 percent GDP,” Andanar said.

Aside from mini summits and conferences, the Philippines will host three major ASEAN events that include: ASEAN Ministers meeting in April; ASEAN Head of States Summit in August; and, the ASEAN Head of States plus United States, Russia, China and Japan.

He said the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has sent invitation to the world leaders from US, China, Japan and Russia.

“This is a big event considering that this year is the 50th anniversary, golden anniversary of ASEAN,” Andanar said.

Andanar said the West Philippine Sea or South China Sea’s maritime dispute will be tackled during the ASEAN 2017.

“So everybody is monitoring this issue, on what to do and what were the rules and regulations discussed during the last year’s ASEAN Summit in Laos because it is being pushed by Singapore and Malaysia and other ASEAN countries,” he explained.

Andanar said at least PHP15.9 billion will be spent for the hosting of the ASEAN Summit 2017.

He said a kick-off event of the ASEAN 2017 will be held on January 15 at the SMX event center in Davao City where delegates from ASEAN member countries will attend.

ASEAN is compose of the Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam.

President Rodrigo Duterte formally accepted the chairmanship of ASEAN during last year’s ASEAN Summit in Vientiane, Laos.