Aquino to attend APEC summit in Honolulu

President Benigno Aquino III will attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders' Week in Honolulu, Hawaii from November 8 to 13. The Department of Foreign Affairs said Aquino will lead a Philippine delegation that includes at least three Cabinet members. "Hosted by the United States, APEC 2011 is working towards the achievement of a 'seamless regional economy,'" the DFA said in a news release. Joining Aquino are Secretaries Albert del Rosario (foreign affairs), Gregory Domingo (trade), and Cesar Purisima (finance). At the Concluding Senior Officials' Meeting and the Ministerial Meetings leading up to the Leaders' Meeting, the Philippine delegation will push for the Philippine positions in line with the three priorities of APEC 2011, including:

• strengthening regional economic integration and expanding trade by advancing "next-generation" trade and investment issues;  
• promoting green growth and fostering job creation in green industries; and  
• expanding regulatory cooperation and advancing regulatory convergence.

At the 19th APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting (AELM) on November 13, the leaders will be free to engage in the most relevant issues facing them. "The issues notionally set for the Meeting include growth and jobs, regulatory reform and competitiveness, and energy efficiency and energy security," the DFA said. ABAC Aquino will also participate in the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC) Dialogue with Leaders, which is a key feature of the AELM. The DFA said this dialogue gives ABAC Members a chance to meet with the APEC leaders to discuss the entire year's ABAC work program and to raise issues of pressing concern to the business community. Representing ABAC Philippines are:

• A. Magsaysay Inc. President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Doris Magsaysay-Ho  
• Jollibee Foods Corporation Chairman and CEO Tony Tan Caktiong  
• Ayala Corporation Chairman and CEO Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala.

This year, ABAC adopted the theme "21 Economies for 21st Century" with the sub-theme "Employing people and ideas for sustained growth in Asia-Pacific." The theme reflects the ABAC 2011 objectives of helping APEC achieve progress in the following priority areas:

• regional economic integration  
• small- and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs), including micro-enterprises, and entrepreneurship  
• sustainable development

APEC has 21 member economies which account for 40 percent of the world's population, 54 percent of world gross domestic product (GDP) and about 44 percent of world trade. — LBG, GMA News