By now, everybody knows that Philippines hosted the 2015 Asia-Pacific Economic Conference or APEC Summit last November 18 and 19. APEC is an event that promotes free trade throughout Asia-Pacific regions. The 
recent event gave us a taste of history because we hosted this annual event when Fidel V. Ramos was still president in 1996.The heavy traffic and walkathon that was experienced all throughout the Metro and the south is a small price to pay to give our country the best shot by showing a dynamic and vibrant economy, promoting top tourist destinations, attracting foreign investments, and giving reasons to our visitors to strengthen trade ties with our country.
This year’s theme is “Building Inclusive Economies, Building A Better World”, that complements to APEC’s “Bogor Goals” or the objective of fostering free and open trade and investment in Asia-Pacific region and, of course, economic prosperity. The government has invested P10 billion to host the said conference for us to better achieve the goals and platforms to be presented to the participating countries. The inclusiveness being referred here includes domestic, regional and macro levels.
For the domestic, the government aims to improve lower and middle class by creating more jobs. Investment in human development including food security and employment generation is the priority. With hopes held high, our country expects to gain more in regards of this event.For the regional level, the focus is on the expansion of access on economic opportunities to make people realize their full potentials.
One of the priority goals of this conference is to mainstream and strengthen MSMEs or micro, small, and medium enterprises, as well as, encourage and support the local SMEs or the small and medium enterprises to participate in regional and global markets. Lastly, in macro level, the government aims to emphasize free and open trade and investment regime by bridging the gaps between developed and less developed APEC members. We are trying to achieve balanced, innovative, sustainable and secure economic growth and development. Prospect of success in attracting foreign investments and expansion and strengthening of trade ties is very high since leaders of Asia-Pacific CEOs are confident that Philippines is stable enough for business and investments despite risks in cyber security and geopolitical disasters and tensions.
According to the survey conducted from June 23 to August 21, covering 800 CEO respondents within the 21 APEC member-economies, 51 percent of CEOs are confident that revenue growth is expected in the country, 53 percent are planning to increase investments, and 68 percent plans to invest in APEC region. Moreover, most of the CEOs are very optimistic about the success of free trade in the region by 2020. They also believe that by this time, modernization led by technology will spread in Asia-Pacific region.
Philippines made this conference fruitful and very successful and wishing to establish a stronger and tiger economy before the presidential title would be passed. The conference benefits the Philippines and hosting such a big event will give our country proper credit and respect. Though it has been said that businesses would not be affected by the upcoming changes in the government, we could not trust in just expectations, and therefore we have to invest and risk all we can, big time, and shall fulfill the investors expectation to the fullest.
Pressman Chronicles 