ASEAN SUMMIT
Metro Cebu to earn P204M from tourists
By Regina Aguilar, Wilfredo Rodolfo III
Inquirer
The Philippine government expects an infusion of at least P204 million by foreigners into the Metro Cebu economy during the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit this December.
Patria Roa, regional director of the Department of Tourism in Central Visayas (DOT-7), said the government expects around 5,000 foreigners to visit Cebu during the summit, each of whom is expected to stay around four days, spending around $200 (P10,200) a day.
The spending estimate, Roa said, was even a conservative one.
“This is small if this amount will cover hotel accommodation, transportation and food,” she said during the launch of the 888 Media Forum at the Parklane Hotel.
Of the 5,000 foreigners, 3,000 will be delegates to the summit, while the other 2,000 will be members of international media who will cover the event.
The computation, she said, does not even include the expenditures of around 5,000 Filipino delegates, security personnel, and local media who will come from other parts of the country for the summit.
However, the infusions would not end with the summit, Roa said, since the exposure Cebu will have from international journalists’ coverage of the summit will have a “multiplier effect.”
“Everything that they will eat and everything that will write about will be for Cebu,” Roa said.
“This is the only time we can take advantage of the (foreign) media. If we place an ad in Japan promoting Cebu, we would be spending an equivalent of an entire year’s budget for the Department of Public Services,” said Nagiel Bañacia, Cebu City protocol officer.
“But on those days, they will only be writing about Cebu,” he said.
“We should remember that these are not just ordinary tourists. These are top government officials and top-caliber journalists. They are ready to spend,” Bañacia added. “They will be buying souvenirs, renting cars and going out during the night.”
ACCOMMODATIONS
Cebu City is tasked to take care of and accommodate local and foreign media who will cover the summit.
At least 400 journalists are expected to come from Japan and South Korea, countries from which Cebu gets most of its tourists.
The Philippine government will shoulder the accommodations of the heads of states, who will be billeted in presidential suites of the different hotels and resorts in Cebu and Lapu-Lapu cities.
The accommodations of other visiting officials will be shouldered by their own governments.
Even though the total number of foreign and local visitors coming into Cebu will reach 10,000, Roa said this would not be a problem for Metro Cebu’s 6,000 hotel rooms.
She said guests will be coming in on different dates for the summit, which would be held from December 9 to 14.
The ASEAN ministers will meet in 32 smaller meetings before the heads of states finally meet for the summit.
“By the time the heads of states come in, many of the staff members and ministers will be going out of the country already,” she said. “All the debates will be settled by these smaller meetings. The heads of states will only come and formalize everything on the last day.”
AIRCRAFT PARKING
At least 18 large passenger aircraft are expected to bring the foreign delegates into Cebu.
These will be parked at the Mactan Cebu International Airport for the duration of the summit.
The governments of Japan, Malaysia and South Korea are expected to bring two Boeing 747-400 jets – one of the largest aircrafts in the world – each with a capacity of 500 passengers.
Other countries will be bringing at least one large aircraft and other smaller planes.
Only two heads of states — Singapore and New Zealand — will be coming in to Cebu by regular commercial aircraft, Bañacia said.
SECURITY
Chief Superintendent Silverio Alarcio Jr., director of Central Visayas police, said the police, military, coast guard, and the Presidential Security Group already have their preparations for the summit “in full swing.”
Alarcio said around 4,000 security personnel would be coming into Metro Cebu to secure the summit, some of whom will arrive earlier than expected.
Cebu City only has 900 policemen, while the entire Central Visayas has 5,000.
Alarcio also said that the regional police is expecting 20 new police cars and communications equipment from the provincial government to be used during the summit.
Meanwhile, Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña said he would not be attending the launching this Friday of a digital countdown timer to the ASEAN Summit that is being set up at Fuente Osmeña.
Osmeña said he would be in to Manila to attend the 80th birthday celebration of businessman John Gokongwei that day.
The mayor said he supports the launching of the P300,000 digital timer, donated by the Lhuillier family and to be installed by the Cebu provincial government.
He said, however, he considers Gokongwei as a major contributor to the city government due to the businessman's investments in Cebu City, and that he would rather be with Gokongwei’s birthday celebration.
He revealed that Gokongwei was even buying block 10 of the North Reclamation Area (across the old White Gold department store) for at least P500 million.
The sale of the property would be formalized when the Commission on Audit (COA) issues a certification authorizing its disposal to the Gokongweis.
Bañacia said the 3.2-meter by 1.2-meter digital timer would remind Cebuanos of the summit.
He said a liquid crystal display would be added to the digital timer on Monday to make it useful as a display screen for the city's announcements after the summit. /With a report by Reporter Doris C. Bongcac
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