MANILA: The Philippines, through the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA), is hosting the 42nd Meeting of the Asean Ports Association (APA) on November 15 and 16.
The event, which will be held at the Solaire Resorts in Parañaque, is expected to be attended by the top port executives and decision-makers from the member-nations of the APA.
Transportation Secretary Arthur P. Tugade will deliver the keynote speech to start the meeting, while PPA General Manager Jay Daniel R. Santiago and APA Chairman and PT Terminal Petikemas Surabaya of Indonesia Head of Corporate Secretary Dothy will give the welcome remarks and opening address, respectively.
The nine-member APA includes Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. Each member is required to present a paper that will serve as the springboard for future development and cooperation among member-countries.
One of the issues to be tackled in the meeting is port infrastructure, which will be the focus of the Philippine presentation, specifically the PPA’s Port Infrastructure Development Plans.
The Port Infrastructure Development Plan of the PPA, meanwhile, identified five priority ports for modernization, namely, Davao, Cagayan de Oro, General Santos, Iloilo Container Port Complex and Zamboanga ports, which are already considered international gateways.
“We are developing these ports, as these handle the majority of our import and export product not only within Asean but also worldwide,” Santiago stressed.
“The APA meeting, which we will be hosting, is a great avenue for the Philippines to assure our Asean neighbors and the world that we are doing beyond what is needed for us to properly respond to the demands of the global supply-chain market,” Santiago said.
Last year, during the 41st APA Meeting held in Brunei Darussalam, the PPA stressed on the capacity-building initiatives it is undertaking like the “Train for Trade” program with the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, as well as its partnership with the World Maritime University, the International Association of Ports and Harbors, and the Permanent International Association of Navigation Congress, among others, all aimed at improving the professional capability of its employees.
