By Joann Santiago
MANILA, Nov. 10 (PNA) — President Benigno Aquino III on Tuesday inspected airport terminals and several venues where the remaining 2015 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meetings, which the Philippines is hosting, will be held.
In a statement, Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said the President inspected the meeting venues of the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) and the Mall of Asia (MOA) Arena as well as the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) terminals 1-3, all in Pasay City.
He said the President was accompanied by Cabinet secretaries led by Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr., who is the chairperson of the APEC national organizing committee.
“He (the President) gave instructions on further fine tuning of the preparations,” he said.
“Also inspected was the Kalayaan hangar area in Villamor Air Base where the economic leaders will arrive and depart,” he added.
Leaders of the other 20 APEC member-countries are expected to attend the APEC Leaders Summit scheduled on November 18-19.
Other APEC-related meetings are scheduled to start on November 12.
On Monday, Ambassador Marciano Paynor Jr., who is also the APEC 2015 National Organizing Council Director General, said preparations for the APEC meetings are 95-97 percent ready and they are just fine-tuning the details.
He also confirmed that China President Xi Jinping will attend the event while Malacanang has announced that among those who are expected to attend the Leaders Summit are US President Barack Obama, Russia President Vladimir Putin, Indonesia President Joko Widodo, Mexico President Enrique Peña Nieto, Chile President Michelle Bachelet, and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. (PNA)