Preparations are in full gear for the hosting of the major meetings of dignitaries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) following the arrival here of Ambassador Marciano Paynor, Jr. secretary general of the National Organizing Council for the ASEAN 2017 summit to be hosted by the Philippines in April.

More than 200 delegates will be in the province on April 18-22 for the various meetings.

Amb.  Paynor and Gov. Edgar Chatto discussed not just the intricate security but also the protocol and warmth of welcome to the visiting ministers and senior cabinet officials from the 10 member-countries of the ASEAN.

At their coordination conference here on Monday, Paynor was confident that the high-profile multi-national delegates could “feel at home and enjoy Bohol” with the degree of coordination showed by the provincial leadership.

Paynor is the presidential chief protocol officer and secretary general of the National Organizing Council (NOC) for the ASEAN 2017 Summit hosted by the Philippines.

Chatto recently joined in the launching of the Philippine chairmanship this year of the ASEAN in Davao City where he met with the ASEAN-NOC chair, Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdia.

Gov. Chatto will preside a coordination meeting at the Governor’s Mansion tomorrow afternoon

Paynor told the media that Bohol is one of the choices to host some major ASEAN meetings because it is “unique and beautiful.”

“We are more than satisfied,” he said of the coordination effort of Bohol which leadership has motivated and mobilized the support of all other local stakeholders for the success of the big event.

Paynor estimated to be “about 800” the direct delegates and other participants—including each delegate’s official entourage, officials and personnel of coordinating agencies, and full security detail—to the Bohol-hosted ASEAN meetings.

Also a lead organizer of the country’s hosting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit in 2015, Paynor was happy to hear that Bohol is tapping its “best and brightest” in the hospitality and tourism industry for the ASEAN event.

Meanwhile, embracing the ASEAN integration for engaging better opportunities is the theme of the national congress to be attended by hospitality and tourism students all over the country, including those from Bohol, in Cebu City on February 24.

The Paynor-Chatto meeting also had the presence of retired Chief Supt. Josephus Angan and Bohol Provincial Police Office chief Sr. Supt. Felipe Natividad who are involved in the detailed security arrangement.

They were joined by Liza Flores, capitol special project unit head and the governor’s designated focal person for Bohol’s ASEAN hosting;  Emmylou Noel, executive director of the Provincial Tourism Council (PTC); and Bohol Tourism Officer Josephine Cabarrus.

Noel at the same time takes charge of the meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibits (MICE) portfolio of the PTC.

The summit will have its opening ceremonies in Manila in April and culmination in Clark, Pampanga in November, during which both events the ASEAN state leaders will converge.

Bohol will host some of the opening major meetings in April while other venues include Davao and Boracay.

Over 120 ministerial, senior official and technical working group meetings will be conducted in the country within the summit period.

Paynor and Chatto tackled the initials of the welcome protocol that will give the ASEAN delegates, a number of them likely coming along with personal entourages, a “taste of truly local flavor.”

Tomorrow, Chatto will preside a full local coordination meeting with the invited regional director of the Department of Tourism (DOT).

LOCALIZING THE

ASEAN ESSENCE

The major ASEAN conferences are essential to the many facets of Bohol’s advancement, according to both Chatto and Paynor who is a self-confessed Bohol admirer.

Apart from economic well-being, advancing social services is now a pillar of the ASEAN as a community of nations that comprise the league.

Strategies of cooperation among nations will be clearly laid out to capacitate the localities as in generating employment and creating livelihood.

The league has stood on three pillars as an ASEAN Political-Security Community, an ASEAN Economic Community and an ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community.

The major meetings in Bohol will tackle trade policies and negotiations and related or other economic issues.

The delegates will come from the Southeast Asian nations of Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Brunei and the Philippines.

Paynor said ASEAN summits have also been participated by non-member Asia-Pacific countries like the United States, Russia, China, Australia and New Zealand, among others.

Bohol’s ASEAN 2017 direct participation can augur well for the localization of the impact of the six ASEAN thematic priorities.

These are the priorities to be achieved—people-oriented and people-centered ASEAN, peace and stability in the region, maritime security and cooperation, inclusive and innovation-driven growth, ASEAN resiliency, and ASEAN as a model of regionalism, a global player.

Bohol’s hosting will present a good chance to scale the province’s promotion up not just to the investors from the Asia-Pacific region.

Chatto has circularized to the local government units down the barangay level and schools the local essence of the ASEAN because in understanding the people can more appreciate it. (Ven rebo Arigo)