Security protocols in full swing as ADB delegates start arriving in Manila

Delegates to the 51st ADB Board of Governors Annual Meeting have started arriving in Manila, the multilateral lender said on Wednesday, May 2, 2018. Around 3,000 are expected to participate in the annual meeting which runs from May 3 to 6. Photo courtesy of ADB

Delegates attending the Asian Development Bank (ADB) Board of Governors 51st Annual Meeting have started to arrive in Manila on Wednesday, a day before the meeting proper begins.

“Finance ministers, central bank governors, private sector representatives, development partners, academics, members of civil society, media, and the youth from the Asia and Pacific region started arriving today at the Asian Development Bank (ADB) headquarters in Manila, Philippines ...” the bank said in a statement.

The Philippines is hosting this year’s annual meeting on May 3, Thursday, to May 6, Sunday, with Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III as current chairman of the ADB Board of Governors.

The Department of Finance (DOF) has said Indonesian Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati and Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank Vice President Thierry de Longuemar are expected to attend.

Also expected to speak at the event are ADB President Takehiko Nakao, ADB Institute Dean Naoyuki Yoshino, and Monetary Board Member Felipe Medalla.

The Philippine National Police (PNP) said the security protocols of the event is now in full swing.

“The inter-agency security task force for Asian Development Bank or ADB Manila 2018, led by the Philippine National Police, is now in  ... full swing in ... security and safety coverage,” PNP Chief Oscar Albayalde said in a separate press conference.

Albayalde noted more than 7,500 security personnel will be deployed during the event, including law enforcement, fire, traffic, and medical emergency services.

The inter-agency security task force is composed of the DOF, PNP, Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), Department of Health (DOH), and Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

It also counts as members the ADB, the Ortigas Center Association Inc. and the local government units of Pasig and Mandaluyong cities.

The PNP has committed to “deliver airtight security strategy for the successful conduct of the ADB meeting and other collateral meetings, which deems to be the opportune time to provide guidance on ADB administrative, financial, and operational directions.”

“As of yesterday, there were 41 delegates that arrived,” Albayalde said.

“We appeal to the public for their understanding and cooperation in security measures that are being implemented by the police,” he said.

During a convoy dry run last month for the ADB meeting, the Metro Manila Development Authority warned motorists to avoid the Ortigas business district where the bank’s headquarters are located, saying it was expecting heavy traffic in the area.

The bank said it is dedicated to reducing poverty in Asia and the Pacific through inclusive economic growth, environmentally sustainable growth, and regional integration. Established in 1966, it is owned by 67 members—48 from the region. In 2017, ADB operations totaled $32.2 billion, including $11.9 billion in cofinancing. —VDS, GMA News