APEC pursues creation of free trade area in the Asia-Pacific
YOKOHAMA, Japan - President Benigno S. Aquino III and the 20 other leaders of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) have agreed to work on realizing a Free Trade Area of the Asia Pacific (FTAAP) to advance regional economic integration and achieve the Bogor goals of free and open trade and investments in the region by 2020.
In the joint declaration read by Japan Prime Minister Naoto Kan, the 21 APEC leaders agreed to include the President’s proposal to utilize the existing framework in the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) as one of the building blocks towards the realization of achieving a Free Trade Area of the Asia Pacific (FTAAP).
During the APEC Chief Executive Officers (CEO) Summit last Friday, the President said it would be more practical to utilize the ASEAN Plus framework in building a free trade area rather than start from scratch.
“We will take concrete steps toward realization of a Free Trade Area of the Asia Pacific, which is a major instrument to further APEC’s regional economic integration agenda. An FTAAP should be pursued as a comprehensive free trade agreement by developing and building on ongoing regional undertakings, such as ASEAN+3, ASEAN+6 and the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), among others,” the Leaders said in their joint declaration.
The 10-member ASEAN that includes the Philippines has existing arrangements such as the ASEAN+3 with dialogue partners China, Japan and South Korea; and the ASEAN+6 which further adds Australia, New Zealand and India.
The Trans-Pacific Partnership, on the other hand, is currently being negotiated between Brunei, Chile, New Zealand, Singapore, Australia, Malaysia, Vietnam and Peru and the United States,
To pursue these goals, the Leaders committed to lessen barriers to trade by improving regulatory cooperation and practices, and strengthen economic and technical cooperation (ECOTECH) particularly for developing economies to improve their capabilities for trade and investment liberalization.
The APEC Leaders also agreed to improve movement of goods and services by implementing the APEC Supply-Chain Connectivity Framework Action Plan, targeting a 10 percent improvement in supply-chain performance by 2015.
The Leaders also committed to ease doing business in the region by making their respective domestic policies and procedures more transparent in the five priority areas of: Starting a business, getting credit, trading across borders, enforcing contracts and in dealing with permits.
In 1994, the Bogor Goals were adopted by the APEC leaders to achieve free and open trade and investment in the Asia-Pacific region under a free trade area agreement no later than 2010 for industrialized economies, and no later than 2020 for developing economies. (PCOO)
Aung San Suu Kyi's release a step towards democracy, says Aquino
YOKOHAMA, Japan - President Benigno S. Aquino III welcomes the release of Aung San Suu Kyi as a positive direction towards Myanmar’s path towards democracy.
“I welcome the decision of Myanmar's government to release Aung San Suu Kyi yesterday. While it is still unclear if there are conditions attached to her release, this is a positive step in the direction towards democracy,” the President declared in his statement.
A Nobel laureate, Suu Kyi was released Saturday night after being detained for 15 of the past 21 years.
Although Suu Kyi was released, the President said other political prisoners have not been freed and the November 7 elections in Myanmar “has not been viewed as credible.”
”In the interest of its people and the region's long-term stability, I encourage Myanmar's government to build upon the release of Aung San Suu Kyi and take concrete steps towards a more open and fair system, efforts which will be surely welcomed by the rest of the international community,” the President said. (PCOO)
APEC leaders envision an Asia Pacific that overcomes, embraces challenges
YOKOHAMA, Japan - The 21 leaders of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) agreed to articulate and adopt “Yokohama Vision – Bogor and Beyond” --of further building and integrating the Asia Pacific Region in the 21st century and the paths to realize it..
In the Declaration, which was presented by Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan at the conclusion of the 3-day APEC Leaders’ Meeting here, the 21 heads of government and heads of state envisioned an Asia Pacific region that can embrace and overcome challenges, and make full use of opportunities to be more fully integrated, with a higher quality of growth and a safer and more economic environment.
The APEC leaders also seek to develop an APEC community in which trade and investment are freer and more open; supply-chains are better connected; doing business is cheaper, faster, and easier; growth is more balanced, inclusive, sustainable, innovative and secure, and more able coping with threats to human security and economic activity.
“We aim to establish a solid foundation for prosperity and well-being in the region by promoting stronger and deeper regional integration through furthering our work to liberalize and facilitate trade and investment – the core mission of APEC,” the APEC leaders said.
The APEC leaders also agreed that barriers against the movement of goods, services and capital should be further reduced and business persons should also be able to move more smoothly.
They also agreed to enhance measures that make it cheaper, faster and easier for businesses to trade and operate in the region.
The APEC leaders likewise agreed that -- customs-related procedures should be further simplified and harmonized; regulatory cooperation should be broadened and deepened; trade costs should be minimized and bureaucratic inefficiencies removed; and multilateral trading system should be promoted and strengthened.
The APEC leaders also vowed to further enhance the quality of growth so that the Asia-Pacific region can realize sustained growth and continue to be an engine of economic activity and progress in the world economy.
“Policies that promote balanced growth within and among APEC economies should be adopted,” the APEC leaders said adding that all sectors in particular potentially disadvantaged and marginalized groups should be provided opportunities to fully realize their potential.
According to them, both economic growth and environmental sustainability should be advanced in a holistic manner, and progress toward a green economy should be accelerated by promoting trade and investment in environmental goods and services, developing this sector in APEC economies, and enhancing energy efficiency and sustainable forest management and rehabilitation.
“Innovative growth should be advanced within and across our economies through the adoption of policies and regulatory environments that best enable the economies to support innovation, utilize information and communication technologies, develop a skilled workforce, and increase research and development,” the APEC leaders said.
On securing the community, the APEC leaders committed to build a regional community in which people can live without the fear of poverty, violence, crime, disease, and hunger while freely engaged in economic activity, even as they underscored the need to achieve the Millennium Development Goals.
“Our economies’ capacity to minimize natural and human risks to economic activity should be enhanced and a secure and resilient economic environment should be achieved,” the APEC leaders said, stressing that poverty should be reduced to maintain the intrinsic dignity of the human condition. (PCOO)
Palace welcomes Pacquiao's 8th boxing title win
Malacañang welcomes Filipino boxing icon Emmanuel “Manny” Pacquiao’s victory over Mexican Antonio Margarito at the Dallas Cowboys Stadium in Dallas, Texas on Saturday (Sunday Manila time).
In a post-fight radio interview over GMA radio station dzBB Sunday, Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Secretary Herminio “Sonny” Coloma congratulated Pacquiao in behalf of President Aquino who is now in Japan for the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders’ Meeting.
Coloma said, despite the Mexican fighter’s edge in height, weight and reach over Pacquiao, the Filipino boxing icon, also a member of Congress as representative from the lone district of Sarangani province, showed speed and intelligence in the title bout and gave his challenger a hard time. He added that such characteristics are natural talents of the Filipino.
Coloma added that the Filipinos’ natural talents can be maximized to excel in any field of expertise.
“Nagpapahiwatig lang po na sa larangan ng global economy maari po nating gamitin ang natural talents ng mga Filipino, maaari po tayong maging competitive sa anumang paghamon,” said Coloma.
Pacquiao bagged the World Boxing Council super welterweight championship title, his eighth crown, putting him on record at the top among the greatest boxers who ever lived.
Pacquiao’s latest victory brought another honor for the country and cemented his rating as the world’s pound-for-pound king. (PCOO)
President Aquino congratulates Pacquiao
YOKOHAMA, Japan - President Benigno S. Aquino III congratulates boxing icon Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao who once again won the admiration of his countrymen in pulling off another convincing win over Mexican boxer Antonio Margarito.
After meeting with some 1,000 members of the Filipino community at the Yokohama Futaba High School on Sunday afternoon here, the President said he was able to talk and congratulate Pacquiao shortly after the fight at the Dallas Cowboys Stadium in Dallas, Texas.
“Pinuri natin sa ipinamalas niya kanina dahil pinahanga na naman niya ang mga Pilipino,” the President said.
The President said he will meet with Pacquiao once the boxing hero gets back home to the country. (PCOO)
