APEC, inclusivity, and Manila

traffic

MANILA, Philippines All

eyes are on the Philippines from
November 18 to 19, as it plays
host to the Asia-Pacific
Economic Cooperation (APEC)
Economic Leaders' Meeting. "Building inclusive
economies, building a better world" is this year's
theme for the APEC summit in Manila.
As movers and shakers from business and
government trade ideas, and give each other pats
on the back, Filipinos who live from paycheck to
paycheck, bearing the brunt of a poor
transportation system, wait for the day when
inclusive becomes more than just a catchphrase.

Even before economic leaders fly in, security in Manila

is tightened, special lanes along EDSA opened up,
roads partially or completely closed, plus work and
classes suspended.
Government and business leaders see it as an
opportunity to expose Asias so-called rising tiger to
the rest of the world, but for many Metro Manila
residents, its hell on paved concrete. Commuters and
motorists spend hours on the road, as the cracks of
the Philippine megacitys infrastructure become all
the more apparent.