Landmark agreements, deeper understanding of small- and medium-scale enterprises, and more valuable contacts were not the only achievements unlocked by the recent Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) meetings at Boracay Island in Aklan.
Another, and more intoxicating, breakthrough is a cocktail aptly called Boracay Sunset, a concoction prepared by the able staff of the Shangri-La in Boracay based on the award winning Don Papa rum and locally sourced fruits.
Indeed, the week-long meetings among government officials and executives from the member-countries of Apec were made more productive because of some of the best that the Philippines had to offer.
Aside from the powder fine sand of Boracay, delegates also enjoyed sweet mangoes and durian, Tabacalera cigars, local brews including the Boracay Sunset which was crafted just for the occasion.
And for entertainment, blues band Bratpack was flown in and it blew away the appreciative crowd.
According to Bill Luz, one of the main movers of the organizing group taking care of the yearlong Apec meetings, the challenge was to make the meetings different and unique from those organized by the other host countries.
And judging from the more than enthusiastic response to the Apec meetings, Philippine-style hospitality did not let the country down. Tina Arceo-Dumlao
Madrid Fusion madness
DURING the recent Madrid Fusion Manila, a number of delegates including media representatives were none too happy with its apparent helter-skelter organization. The opening, which was supposed to start at 10 a.m., was delayed as there were still not enough participants in the main hall where the ceremony was supposed to be held.
The reason? It was only upon the arrival of the participants at the reception and registration area that barcoded IDs were printed. Despite only 1,000 participants at this event, the printing of the IDs dragged on too long. This resulted in the succeeding events in the program terribly delayed as well.
Some delegates noted that this wasn’t the first time Manila hosted international events with participants reaching as many as 3,000 coming from all over the globe (e.g. ADB general membership meeting, World Economic Forum, etc.). And yet, registration is usually quick as delegate IDs were already printed (including their photos) before hand.
In fact, in many of these international conferences, delegates can even get their IDs as early as a week before the event. Perhaps in the next Madrid Fusion Manila, the Department of Tourism’s event organizer can ask tips from the ADB or the Department of Finance on how to organize such mega events without hitches. Daxim L. Lucas
End of the tunnel?
ALSONS Consolidated Resources Inc. (ACR) made a bold statement during its recent stockholders’ meeting.
“It’s the beginning of the end of the five-year-long Mindanao power shortage,” company executive vice president and chief operating officer Tirso Santillan Jr. told shareholders. “Brownouts this summer of as long as eight hours in some places will soon be a thing of the past.”
ACR would light up the end of the long, dark road for the region as it builds up its generation capacity, he said. By the end of this decade ACR aims to account for about a fourth of peak power demand in its turf, Mindanao, company chair and president Tomas I. Alcantara said.
That entails a capacity of about 588 megawatts of diesel, coal and hydroelectric power. “This will truly make us a major power player in Mindanao,” Santillan said.
In the next stage of its quest to be the dominant energy provider in its home turf, ACR is also placing its bets on solar power—specifically, solar power in General Santos City. It apparently exhibits the most sunlight in the Philippines.
“It is not Ilocos, it is not Nueva Ecija. It is Gensan,” Alcantara said. “We are looking at how to best harness that power. And we have the land.” Riza T. Olchondra
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