New center aims to bring APEC closer to Cebuanos

From left, businessman Lito Maderazo, overall coordinator of the APEC Cebu organizing committee; regional director Aster Caberte of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), regional director Rowena Montecillo of the Department of Tourism and Lito Nadal, APEC deputy director general for media operations, elaborate on the benefits of Cebu’s hosting of the APEC meeings at the APEC Activity Center in the Capitol Dignitaries Lounge during the KapiStorya forum hosted by provincial information officer Ethel Natera (center). (CDN PHOTO/ JUNJIE MENDOZA)

To bring the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) discussions closer to the public, the Cebu Organizing Committee (COC) yesterday launched the APEC Activity Center at Capitol’s Dignitaries’ Hall.

The center, which is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. until Sept. 12, is accessible to the public.

Provincial information officer Ethel Natera said the public will have access to free wireless Internet and be able to view live video streams of some APEC meetings and press conferences held at the International Media Center (IMC) at Bayfront Hotel.

Natera, head of the COC subcommittee on media operations, said they will also try to show APEC-related videos and tourism videos.

She said the center was opened in a bid to “humanize” APEC.

“This is a start because I know that people are struggling very hard to understand the impact of APEC to us,” she told reporters yesterday morning.

The launching was attended by regional directors, students, Cebu-based bloggers, and local media, among others.

They also attended a multi-sectoral forum held at the center after the launching.

Since the start of the APEC hosting last year,  this is the first facility of its kind to be launched in a host city.

Cebu is presently hosting the Third Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM3) and other related meetings with over 3,000 delegates expected to be coming in and out of Cebu from Aug. 22 to Sept. 6.

The province will also  host  the ministerial meetings on Structural Reform from Sept. 7 to 8 and Finance from Sept. 10 to 11.

The Dignitaries’ Hall is located at the East Wing on the second floor of the Capitol’s Executive Building.

The center was conceptualized by Philippine Information Agency (PIA) director general Jose Mari Oquiñena.

PIA Deputy Director General Virgilio Galvez, who was present during the launching, said the activity center is the best way to make the public understand APEC.

“We’ve been trying to find a way to approach people,” he said in a separate interview.
Galvez said PIA will organize a similar facility in Manila and Iloilo for the coming meetings.