The Philippines is geared up to host the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) 50th Foreign Ministers’ Meeting that will be held in Manila from August 2 to August 8, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said on Tuesday, August 1.
“I think with all the preparations that we’ve made, the country is very much ready to host this 50th Foreign Ministers’ Meeting,” National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) regional director Oscar David Albayalde said in a press briefing in Malacañan.
Albayalde said the PNP, which started preparations on security matters since last year, has already monitored the arrivals of some of the delegates, implemented a skeletal deployment at the visitors’ hotels, and put in place route securities.
“So this is practically a very huge task for us where we will be utilizing more or less 13,000 uniformed personnel here with 1,286 attached personnel from other agencies,” he said.
He said around 1,700 visitors are expected to arrive in Manila for the meeting.
“I think with all our efforts, we are very much ready to secure the leaders, ‘yung mga ministers coming here,” Albayalde said.
During the same press briefing, Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Spokesperson Robespierre Bolivar said the foreign ministers and senior officials from 27 countries will gather in Manila for the 50th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting and Related Meetings at the Philippine International Convention Center.
The DFA official said ministers are expected to issue several documents during the course of the week.
Among these are ASEAN Ministerial Meeting Joint Communiqué, Chairman Statements for the East Asia Summit Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, the various Post-Ministerial Conferences, the ASEAN Plus Three Foreign Ministers’ Meeting and the ASEAN Regional Forum.
Meanwhile, Presidential Communications Office Assistant Secretary Kris Ablan said a grand commemorative celebration to commemorate the 50th year of ASEAN will be held on August 8 at the Cultural Center of the Philippines area.
“I was also informed that all over the Philippines, the different local government units will be celebrating the 50th ASEAN Anniversary with us and I think it will be later explained by the DFA that there will be a blowing of horns all over the Philippines,” Ablan said during the briefing.###PND