MANILA, Philippines – Around 450 foreign and local delegates are expected to converge in Manila from December 8 to 9 for the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Informal Senior Officials’ Meeting (ISOM) – the first meeting to be held in the country as part of its hosting of APEC 2015.

The two-part event – which consists of a symposium on APEC 2015 priorities on Day 1 and a Senior Officials’  Consultative Dialogue on APEC priorities on Day 2 – will be held in Manila as a precautionary measure, rather than in the original venue in Legazpi, Albay, due to Typhoon Ruby.

The symposium will gather local and international experts from multilateral organizations, think thanks, national agencies, and business groups where they will be introduced to the country’s priorities for APEC 2015.

They will be joined by representatives from the World Trade Organization (WTO), International Trade Center, Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), and the Asian Development Bank to share their analyses on the latest economic developments and opportunities in the region.

The December 8 symposium will focus on 21st  century Megatrends and Challenges; An Inclusive Growth Strategy for the APEC region; Regional Economic Integration and the Multilateral Trading System; Fostering SMEs’ Participation in Regional and Global Markets; Human Capital Development; and Sustainable and Resilient Communities.

Speakers will include Dr Bernard Hoekman of the European University Institute; Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala of the Ayala Group of Companies; Diane Wang, co-founder and CEO of DHGate.com; Ramon R. Del Rosario Jr of the Philippine Business for Education; Professor Nobuaki Hamaguchi of the Research Institute for Economics and Business Administration; and Albay Governor Joey Salceda.
  
Trade Secretary Gregory Domingo and Socio-Economic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan will address the delegates as well.

On Day 2, APEC senior officials and selected delegates will discuss outcomes from the symposium and how it can enhance inclusive growth, in line with the APEC 2015 theme of “Building Inclusive Economies, Building a Better World.”

The event was supposed to be held in Legazpi, Albay, but Malacañang announced on Wednesday that it had been moved to Manila due to Typhoon Ruby. Albay is among the critical areas cited by state weather bureau PAGASA.

Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr had said in a statement that Albay, which had been preparing for the last two years for APEC, would still have a chance to host other APEC-related meetings in 2015.

There will also be APEC events in Boracay and Iloilo City in Western Visayas; Tagaytay City in Southern Tagalog; Metro Cebu in Central Visayas; Bagac, Bataan, and Clark, Pampanga, in Central Luzon; and Metro Manila itself.

 (READ: 2015 APEC Summit to keep PH ‘top of mind’) – Rappler.com