Palace welcomes APEC delegates for 3rd Senior Officials’ meeting in Cebu

Malacañang on Saturday welcomed the delegates for the ongoing technical working group (TWG) meetings related to the third Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Senior Officials' Meeting in September.

In a briefing on state-run dzRB, presidential deputy spokesperson Abigail Valte said preparations have been made to make sure the TWG meetings will go smoothly as the seniors' meeting draws near.

"We’re very happy to welcome the delegates from the 20 other member economies of APEC. We have prepared to make sure that these meetings will go off as planned and will go off without a hitch," she said.

Also, she said that only 24 TWG meetings were originally scheduled for next month in Cebu, but the number has increased to 81 as delegates looked favorably to the country's hosting.

"‘Yung chair po ng isang TWG, sila po ‘yung may option kung saan po nila gagawin ‘yung kanilang meeting; and, fortunately, a lot of them chose to have their working group meetings with us," said Valte.

The APEC 2015 Summit has given focus on the services sector, which further integrates its 21-member economies aiming for inclusive growth.

In preparation for the World Leaders' Summit in November, various APEC meetings have been held in Pampanga, Manila, Bataan, Albay, Tagaytay City, Iloilo, Boracay Island, and Bacolod City this year.

Gathering of vultures

Militant youth group League of Filipino Students, however, condemned the APEC meetings as a "sellout."

"APEC is a luxurious gathering of vultures who are so hungry to ravage the Philippines’ wealth and natural resources," said LFS spokesperson Charisse Bañez.

"By hosting APEC for this year, [President Benigno] Aquino III will open the floodgates for further foreign economic plunder and exploitation in the country," he added.

Bañez claimed that “APEC and the Aquino administration are plotting to strengthen American dominance in the Philippines by enforcing severe neoliberal policies. The Filipinos, especially workers and peasants, will be forced to bear the burden of increasing the wealth of monopoly capitalists leading economic meet.” — Marisse Panaligan/LBG, GMA News