APEC Journal

APEC 2015

            APEC means Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation. It is composed of 21 members from countries such as: Australia, Brunei, Darrusalam, Canada, Chile, China, Hongkong, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Philippines, Rusia, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, United States of America, and Vietnam. Guest country is Colombia.

            This year's theme for APEC is Building Inclusive Economies, Building A Better World: A Vision from an Asia-Pacific Community.

17 November 2015
APEC Ministers Issue Joint Statement

            The APEC Ministers from 21 APEC member economies issued a Joint Statement which specifically states new actions for advancing an Asia-Pacific economic growth agenda. This will benefit everyone and the future generation after concluding the 2015 APEC Ministerial Meeting.

            The Ministers' joint Statement is supported by the following Annexes which details measures for advancing APEC member economies' regional and global priorities:

• Annex A: APEC Disaster Risk Reduction Framework
• Annex B: APEC High-Level Policy Dialogue on Food Security and Blue Economy Plan of Action
• Annex C: Progress Report on Implementation of the Beijing Road map for APEC's Contribution to the Realization of the Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific
• Annex D: Progress Report on Implementation of the APEC Strategic Blueprint for Promoting Global Value Chains Development and Cooperation

            The actions described in the Joint Statement continue to chart a course based on enhancing the regional economic integration agenda; fostering micro, small and medium enterprises' participation in regional and global markets; investing in human capital development; and building sustainable in regional and global markets; investing in human capital development; and building sustainable and resilient communities.

            The APEC Ministerial Meeting was co-chaired by Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario and Philippine Trade and Industry Secretary Gregory Domingo.

18 November 2015
APEC CEO Summit with US President Barack Obama and Jack Ma

            After US President Obama gave his speech on Climate Change in the APEC CEO Summit, he moderated a session. He asked the 31-year old Aisa Mijeno, an engineer and co-founder (CEO) of SALt (Sustainable Alternative Lighting) on how can the public and private sector help entrepreneurs like her.

            Indeed, it was an honor for the Filipinos that a Filipina shared the stage with US President Barack Obama and world billionaire Jack Ma at the APEC CEO Summit.

            Mijeno told Obama and Ma that electricity or light is a basic need. She shared that the SALt lamp uses saline solution or seawater to power up a LED lamp; and can even charge mobile phones with a UBS portal. She asked for a support system both from private and the government sector to mentor, guide, help them scale the product or project, and provide funding to get the project moving.

            SALt aims to deliver almost 600 lamps to far-flung areas in the country. It also seeks to ramp up production to bring the lamp into the market by early next. It also aims to eliminate the cost involved in using kerosene or battery-powered lamps and candles in mostly far-flung areas in 5 country. 

            By using sweater, a lamp is able to give 8 hours of lightning power.  And it costs only $6 a year.

            Obama replied that the government's role is to provide tax incentives for producers of clean technology, as well as funding for research and development.

            The US president then pointed to Ma, who runs the world's top e-commerce platform, Alibaba, to the crowd's applause.

18 November 2015
APEC Leaders, Business Align Policy Visions for New Environment

            Philippine President Benigno S. Aquino III opened a dialogue between APEC Leaders and regional business representatives by calling for greater collaboration between the governments and businesses to ensure the needed stability that will foster economic opportunities for more people in the changing global environment. 

            The dialogue included examination of policy recommendation from the APEC Business Advisory Council and setting the tone for the 2015 APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting that will take place on the following day November 19, 2015.

            As Chair, President Aquino guided the Leaders to flesh out directives for the 21 APEC member economies to take forward in the coming year and boost trade and inclusive, sustainable growth among them. 

            Due to increasing complex interconnected, and unpredictable world, President Aquino encouraged APEC members to look at trends that may cause disruption, act with resilience and craft a response with inclusivity at its core, ensuring no one is left behind. Areas of focus includes next steps towards free trade of the Asia-Pacific, pursuit of region-wide growth through opening and development of services market; finance expansion of infrastructure; support for micro, small and medium enterprise growth; and the promotion of sustainable development and the rule of law.

18 November 2015
APEC Welcome Dinner Reception

            The APEC Leaders Economies and other guests were treated to a visual spectacle as they entered to cavernous Mall of Asia Arena, hat was transformed into a haven of innovative design that echoed the Philippine countryside. 

            The Welcome Dinner took inspiration from the Banaue Rice Terraces, a World Heritage Site, for the venue design. 

            The APEC Leaders and their spouses surrounded this stage, over which a large white anahaw leaf-inspired canopy hung to camouflage the high ceiling.

            The leaders' chairs were quite the star-iconic Yoda chair done in rice green, modified to have an armrests as well as a swivel mechanism. 

            President Aquino welcome the leaders and guests by sharing with them the foods, songs, and dances from the Philippines. 

19 November 2015
Aquino to APEC Leaders: Advance People-Centered Agenda

            President Benigno Aquino III opened the APEC with a people-centered agenda that embraces all sectors of society as invaluable participants in a growth which is holistic. 

            As Chair of the proceedings, he called for the 21 Leaders and members of the APEC to advance an agenda for joint action that lifts their economies and improves the Asia-Pacific region’s prospects for the future. 

            President Aquino explained that a growth agenda creates employments, bring children to school, ensure food stability for families, uplifts the standards of living, protects the environment, nurtures creativity and innovation, and hopes to achieve leverage in all playing field. 

            President Aquino noted "APEC's role as both an incubator of next generation policy ideas and initiatives, and a mechanism for facilitating implementation across the region’s diverse member economies. "

            He also described the importance of this role towards realizing APEC members' goals for free and open trade and investment and addressing shared development challenges as well as building momentum for the climate change. 

            He recognized that the main challenge for all of us is finding a way to sustain and strengthen quality growth, particularly by considering policy responses that promote inclusivity, while addressing the current domestic and external challenges to APEC’s growth. 

            He believes that together, growth with a vision of economic prosperity and interconnectedness felt at all levels can be achieved.

19 November 2015
APEC Leaders Issue Declaration in Manila

            The APEC Leaders concluded their meeting by issuing the 23rd APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting Declaration. 

            The Declaration outlines new commitments for APEC members to take forward over the coming year, such as:

      1. Building Inclusive Economies 

          a. to support comprehensive and ambitious structural reforms; achieve positive economic, social, and environmental outcomes; and promote good governance.

          b. to deepen our financial markets and mitigate risks.

      2. Fostering Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises' Participation in Regional and Global Markets

          a. to foster an enabling trading environment that is responsive to new ways in which goods and services are produced and delivered and that promotes inclusiveness, especially for MSMEs.

      3. Building Sustainable and Resilient Communities

          a. to build sustainable and disaster-resilient economies.

          b. to make urbanization work for growth. 

      4. Investing in Human Capital Development

          a. to redouble our efforts to empower our people with the tools to benefit from and participate in economic growth.

      5. Enhancing the Regional Economic Integration Agenda

          a. to achieve our vision for an integrated community in a comprehensive and systematic manner. 

          b. to develop the services sector as an enabler of economic growth and inclusion.

      6.  Strengthening Collaboration

          a. to work with stakeholders to address common challenges. 

          b. to strongly support the work of our Ministers, the APEC Process, and all its Committees and Fora.

            The Declaration is supported by Annexes such as APEC Strategy for Strengthening Quality Growth and APEC Services Cooperation Framework. 

            The Declaration states that while achieving ongoing economic transformation will not be easy, APEC Leaders are confident that APEC members will continue to drive regional and global economic prosperity through quality economic growth, as supported by these collective commitments.

            Peru will chair APEC throughout 2016 and host the 24^th APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting.

            In recognition that APEC work is a continuing process and that continuity of agenda is key to APEC's relevance, the APEC is grateful for the Philippines’ leadership this year as it has built on the vision and work of the previous APEC hosts.

            Again, all APEC members continue to look forward to meeting again in Peru in 2015.  It shall also work closely with the future hosts from 2017 to 2022, namely Viet Nam, Papua New Guinea, Chile, Malaysia, New Zealand, and Thailand; and Republic of Korea to host APEC in 2025.

            I would like to end my journal with the hope that the Asia-Pacific community will indeed achieve its goal of a building a better world, through building inclusive economies.  I look forward to continuously experience APEC meetings year after year. 

Thank you APEC.