The province of Cebu rose to the occasion and proved itself more than capable of hosting an immense global gathering of top international government dignitaries and high-level media practitioners. Despite the short no­tice and brickbats from critics, everyone worked in unison to ensure a successful and memorable Asean Summit that would forever remain in the minds of the delegates and citizenry alike. While the postponement has somewhat deflated the Summit’s momentum, the re-staging emerged with flying colors, notwithstanding the extended travel advisories.

BUCKING THE NAYSAYERS (again!) for the nth time, the re-staging of the 12th Asean Lead­ers Summit in Cebu was deemed an unqualified and spirited success as all leaders of the 10 member-countries and seven dialogue-partners showed up in full force (again!) and passed a record number of agreements and accords aimed for the short-and long-term welfare of the Asean region.

Dressed in exclusive silk cocoon bar­ong outfits designed by Jean Goulbourn, a noted local designer, the heads of state of 17 countries signed several agreements focusing on several issues such as nurs­ing services, migrant workers, HIV and AIDS, energy security, the denucleariza­tion of North Korea, the Myanmar issue, plus inter-regional agreements.

Other accords included the Cebu Dec­laration for the Asean Charter; Asean Convention on Counter-terrorism; WTO Stand-Alone Statement; Cebu Declaration on the Acceleration of the Establishment of an Asean Community by 2015; Asean + 3 talks with Japan, China, and Korea; expansion of the Brunei-Indonesia-Ma­laysia-Philippines East Asia Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) talks which included the addition of air linkages, and others.

In parallel with the Summit theme “One Caring and Sharing Community,” the government leaders batted for deeper regional integration in a community that  places the welfare above all at its very center.

According to Secretary of Foreign Af­fairs Dr. Alberto Romulo, the Asean will reinforce their commitment to address the key common concerns of our people such as poverty alleviation; improving social conditions particularly for women and children; enhancing safety of migrants; upgrading the quality of life through great­er development with expanded education, trade, tourism, investment, etc.

“The Asean Community will be pro-active and responsive to an increasingly challenging global environment. Thus, we will be worthy heirs of the visionaries who created Asean and we will be enhancing their legacy for generations to come,” he added.

In attendance were Sultan of Brunei Darussalam Haji Hassanal Bolkiah, Cam­bodian Prime Minister Samdech Hun Sen, Indonesian President Dr. Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, Lao People’s Democratic Re­public Prime Minister Bouasone Boupha­vanh, Malaysian Prime Minister Dato’ Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, Union of Myanmar Prime Minister General Soe Win, Philippine President Gloria Macapa­gal Arroyo, Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Kingdom of Thailand’s Prime Minister General Surayud Chulano­nt (Ret.), and Socialist Republic of Viet­nam’s Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung.

The visitors were entertained to the hilt as tours, tokens, accommodations, security arrange­ments, transfers, and meals were upgraded to VIP level in answer to protocol requirements of the elite clientele.
“The human element stood out during the Asean Sum­mit. This was where we really shone; the smiles, the help­fulness, and the sincerity of our people,” beamed Ambas­sador Victoriano Licaros, the Summit spokesperson.

The Dim Side
In the face of external obstacles such as anti-govern­ment rallies, terrorism threats, food poisoning, a distant bombing incident, and some no-shows of government spouses, the Summit nevertheless proceeded full blast disregarding some inconveniences and minor lapses.

To recall, the United States, Canada, Great Britain, and Australia issued month-long travel advisories where­in it warned its citizens of traveling to Cebu and the Phil­ippines in view of perceived terrorism threats and acts of violence.

However, no such threat has occurred as partly due to the stringent security measures imposed by the country’s defense forces. In fact, the Australian Prime Minister John Howard even chose to disregard his own country’s travel advisory and flew to Cebu to participate in the region’s governmental affairs.

Perhaps the most violent incident was several left-leaning rallyists who suffered minor injuries in a scuffle with anti-riot forces just a couple of blocks away from the CICC.

The rallyists were repeatedly informed earlier that they would be denied access to the vicinity of the CICC, but they stubbornly stuck to their cause. As a result, they were met with stiff resistance by the anti-riot policemen.

Another incident was the food poisoning of 55 out of 95 dancers, models, and musicians as allegedly caused by a private caterer after their evening performance in front of heads of state at the Shangri-La Mactan.
Luckily, everyone was declared out of danger after a few hours of hospitalization as the delegation went about their next evening performance as if nothing happened at all.

The private caterer, a prominent name in Asian cui­sine in Cebu, handled all medical expenses and promised to cooperate with the police.

The Bomb
Regarding a bombing case in the city of General San­tos (several hundred kilometers from Cebu) in Mindanao, this was shrugged off by the delegates a couple of days later due to more pressing matters at hand.

A press con headed by Ambassador Marcial Paynor was held that very evening at 10 pm to discuss the cir­cumstances of the act and its possible impact on the Sum­mit.

He assured the delegates that everything was well un­der control in Cebu and that everyone should continue on with their duties. Luckily, there were no reports of even a single delegate leaving Cebu on account of the bombing incident.

In a sense, the bombing incident may even prove to be advantageous to the Philippines since the foreign media was present and was well aware that the entire country was definitely not under siege or that the rallyists were nowhere close to overthrowing the Philippine govern­ment.

More importantly, any future act of unrest in the Phil­ippines would be reported with utmost caution by the foreign media and reporters would also take into consid­eration the distance of the venue to Cebu or Manila so as not to give the misimpression that the entire country is in upheaval.

Such action would definitely make for significantly less sensationalized reporting in contrast to other stations which constantly air stock replays of previous violent in­cidents, thereby creating a false sense of fear and anxiety to the outside world.

Ladies’ Choice
Regarding the spouses tour, the presence of the wives of the economic and foreign ministers of the Asean coun­tries made up for the absence of majority of the First La­dies of their respective countries.

Headed by First Gentleman Mike Arroyo and Cebu City First Lady Margot Osmena, the tour, dubbed “La-ag, (Roam) Discovering Cebuano Heritage and its Influ­ences,” enabled the delegates to witness the city’s various landmarks coupled with dances and visual treats for the enthralled VIP audience.

Every stop had the ladies gasping in awe at the danc­ers’ movements, the warm smiles and gestures, the themed décor and props, along with the grand spectacle and over­all smooth coordination of the entire tour itinerary.

Scenic spots included the Family Park in Talamban, the Provincial Capitol, the Fuente Osmena rotonda, the Magellan’s Cross, and the Basilica del Santo Nino.

In view of the overwhelming hospitality accorded to the visitors, many vowed to return to Cebu for private visits in order to explore more of the landmark attractions and sample more of the host city’s legendary acts of hos­pitality.

Icons All
Standing tall above the Summit was Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia who defied the odds and her numer­ous critics as the CICC was built on time despite the strin­gent self-imposed deadline and the criticisms thrown her way.

She proved to be a hands-on executive as she visited the CICC site several times a day just to ensure that the finishing touches would be completed over the holiday season.

To recall, the Php515-M CICC was built entirely of provincial funds as her government refused to accept out­side funding.

Ambassador Marcial Paynor and Ambassador Licaros likewise deserve all the pats on their backs for their per­sistence and patience in ensuring Cebu’s hosting of the Summit.

Also playing huge roles were DFA Undersecretary Frank Benedicto; and three city mayors and their wives; Cebu City Mayor Tommy and Margot Osmena, Mandaue City Mayor Thadeo and Linda Ouano; and Lapu-lapu City Mayor Arturo and Paz Radaza.
Credit also goes to the thousand and one volunteers, the security forces, the government agencies, the hotel and resort management, the media outlets, the tireless cooks and kitchen staffers, the drivers, etc., who all played an invaluable role in the Summit’ success.

Perhaps playing a most overlooked role is the Senor Santo Nino, Cebu’s beloved patron saint, who probably wanted the Summit held closer to the Sinulog festivities in order to attract a wider global audience and draw more devotees to its midst.

Back to Top