Aquino studying agenda of APEC Leaders' Meeting in Yokohama, says Coloma
President Benigno Simeon Aquino III is now studying the four general topics that will be discussed during the 18th Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders’ Meeting to be held from Nov. 12-15 in Yokohama, Japan.
In an interview over government-run radio station dzRB Radyo ng Bayan, Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio “Sonny” Coloma said President Aquino is focusing on the general agenda of the APEC meeting.
Coloma spelled out the general agenda of the APEC Leaders’ Meeting as follows: Free Trade Area of the Asia Pacific (FTAAP); Balanced, Inclusive, Sustainable, Knowledge-based Growth; Human Security; and Economic and Technical Cooperation.
Coloma said the FTAAP was agreed upon during the 2008 APEC meeting in Bogor, Indonesia. He noted that the second topic, which is Balanced, Inclusive, Sustainable, Knowledge-based Growth, aims to ensure equity among the rich and the poor within the society and the developed and developing countries. The second topic also includes protecting the environment to preserve its natural resources and the use of modern technology in developing ways and means that will expedite progress.
He also said that Human Security includes sub-topics such as counter-terrorism measures, emergency and disaster preparedness, promoting food security, and countering infectious diseases.
According to Coloma, the Economic and Technical Cooperation will also be discussed to further strengthen the capacity of APEC-member countries in achieving such goals.
Coloma said that the President will also attend plenary sessions and bilateral meetings at the sidelines of the event. (PCOO)
Palace backs UK statement in issuing travel advisories
Malacañang today thanked the United Kingdom for not issuing a new travel advisory against the Philippines but instead “added a minor sentence in their advisory to include a few general locations where terrorist attacks may take place,” Presidential Communications and Operations Office Secretary Herminio Coloma said on Sunday.
In an interview aired over government-run dzRB Radyo ng Bayan, Coloma said the UK’s statement would help international governments reconsider disallowing their citizens from travelling to the Philippines.
“The United Kingdom did not issue a new travel advisory but only added a minor sentence in their advisory to include a few general locations where terrorist attacks may take place,” Coloma said.
He added that the reiteration of the UK government’s non-issuance of a new travel advisory was based on their “assessment of the overall level of threat in the Philippines” which it said had not changed for over a year.
“Foreign and Commonwealth Office of UK also underscored that travel advises have to be accurate and sensitive to the needs and perspectives of the Philippines,” Coloma said.
“The DFA welcomes this clarification from the UK government,” he added.
Six countries, namely: Britain, the United States, France, Australia, New Zealand and Canada last week issued travel advisories against the Philippines due to alleged terrorist attacks that may happen. (PCOO)
