The gathering of leaders at this year’s Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), which the Philippines is host country, will be essential to Bohol’s development.
Gov. Edgar Chatto sat at an early breakfast meeting on Monday with Palace Chief Protocol Officer and ASEAN 2017 National Organizing Council (NOC) Director General for Operations Marciano Paynor, Jr.
Aside from economic development, ASEAN pillars also include social services as a cohesive community of member nations.
The Philippines, Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, and Brunei will be tackling polices, programs, and plans to strengthen cooperation, particularly poverty reduction.
Member nations’ partnerships are recognized as a strategy is that will allow communities to build environments for the creation of jobs and livelihood opportunities.
This is a central objective of both the ASEAN NOC and the Provincial Government – cascading ASEAN and its impact to Philippine development and to lives of the Filipino people.
For this purpose, the governor has directed local organizing committee to produce IEC materials on the ASEAN in the dialect to be provided to local chief executives and to barangay leaders during forums this week.
Over 120 ministerial, senior official and technical working group meetings in addition to the two major summits will be held in the country, including Bohol from April to November.
An ASEAN summit will open in Manila in April and another summit will culminate in November in Clark, Pampanga.
Meetings in Bohol will discuss trade and economic concerns and the province’s participation will guide and benefit local development goals and impacts vis-a-vis 6 thematic priorities of the ASEAN including A People-Oriented And People-Centered ASEAN, ASEAN: A Model Of Regionalism, A Global Player, Maritime Security and Cooperation, Inclusive, Innovation-Led Growth, Resilient ASEAN, and ASEAN: A Model Of Regionalism, A Global Player.
The ASEAN meetings will also open doors to promote Bohol as a haven for investment from the Asia Pacific Region. It will also be a stage to promote Bohol tourism, culture, and talent. Â
At the meeting, Paynor expressed gratitude to Chatto for Bohol’s strong support for the hosting of the ASEAN this year.
Chatto, for his part, said Bohol is honored to be part of one of the country’s biggest events.
Bohol’s participation in the ASEAN is a manifestation of its strong support for the programs of National Government. It is also a contribution to the success of the Philippine hosting of the ASEAN on its 50th anniversary, he said.
The Bohol local organizing committee is scheduled to meet on February 6 to iron out particulars for the holding of ASEAN meetings in the province. (Leah/EDCOM)