BEIJING, China, Nov. 8 (PNA) — The Philippines has contributed a lot in the discussions of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) particularly in areas of emergency and disaster preparedness as well as labor migration, an APEC official said on Saturday.
“Already the Philippines has been contributing right through the years. We’ve had 300 meetings this year, and we’re seeing the Philippines very active in a number of those,” APEC Executive Director Alan Bollard said in an interview with the Philippine press on Saturday.
The Philippines he said is active in the emergency preparedness working group, where the country has had a lot of experience of planning with disasters and how to become more resilient.
Also the Philippines participates on dialogues on how to make sure that small businesses can operate better through the global supply chains even with natural disasters.
“Philippines is being very active in both those particular areas,” Bollard noted.
Bollard also said that the Philippines works actively in the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC), infusing some ideas that it has had for increasing labor mobility and working out how people get through the borders especially for particular skilled groups.
On Friday, Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario and Trade Secretary Gregory Domingo attended the opening of the 25th APEC Ministerial Meeting at the China National Convention Center.
President Benigno S. Aquino III is expected to arrive here on Sunday to join the 22nd APEC Leaders’ Meeting on November 10 to 11. (PNA)