OCT 6, 2015

NR # 3979

APEC leaders Manila meeting next month to draw 7,000 visitors

The government is expecting some 7,000 visitors to flock to the country during the Asia Pacific
Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders Meeting in Manila this coming November 18 and 19, according
to tourism officials during the House plenary discussions on the Department of Tourisms P3.588 billion
proposed budget for 2016.
Rep. Dakila Carlo E. Cua (Lone District, Quirino), a vice chairman of the Committee on
Appropriations, gave the 7,000 figure in response to the query of Rep. Jonathan A. Dela Cruz (Party-list,
ABAKADA) on what is the expected visitors arrival during the APEC highlight next month, which is the
Heads of State meeting on November 18 and 19.
Such event will have approximately 7,000 visitors, said Cua, who defended the DOT 2016
budget.
With such huge number of visitors coming, Dela Cruz asked DOT officials if the government is
ready to accommodate all 7,000 APEC guests arriving next month. Are there enough rooms with
international standards that can accommodate the 7,000 expected visitors?, said Dela Cruz.
Cua said the DOT has assured they have done the necessary preparations to accommodate the
APEC visitors.
Per information provided by DOT officials led by Secretary Ramon Jimenez, Cua said there had
been 28 APEC conferences held in the country so far, and each event had an average of 500 participants.
Dela Cruz also asked that after APEC, what major events are being planned or prepared by the
DOT to attract more tourists to visit the country.
He recalled that during the time of former DOT Secretary now Rep. Joseph Ace Durano (5 th
District, Cebu), there was a plan to hold most of the world pool events in the country. Unfortunately, he
said some problems cropped up and so the plan did not materialize.
Im wondering if the DOT would still be interested in helping or assisting the organizers of the
world pool events. In the Philippines, there are about five million pool players. I am sure they will be
happy to participate in this kind of activity. It can be a national program and can generate a lot of
enthusiasm. If we can get all the world-class players to come over, then that will definitely draw a lot of
tourists as well, said Dela Cruz.
Dela Cruz urged the DOT to conduct a feasibility study on the country hosting world pool events
in the country and other sports events on a regular basis to attract more tourists to come to the
Philippines. He said the Tourism Promotions Board (TPB) is in the best position to undertake such
activities.
Cua said Jimenez is very enthusiastic about working on Dela Cruzs proposal, and has asked the
TPB to conduct a feasibility study on the matter.
Of the P3.588 billion proposed DOT budget for 2016, P2.746 billion shall go to maintenance and
other operating expenses (MOOE), P465.1 million to capital outlays, P374.7 million to personnel
services, and P1.5 million to financial expenses. (30) rbb