Ministers, officials hold preparatory meets for ASEAN Summit

CLARK, Pampanga -- Ministers and senior officials of the 10 member-states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) are holding a series of preparatory meetings here from Nov. 10 to 11 for the 31st ASEAN Summit and Related Summits in Manila next week.

The Committee of Permanent Representatives (CPR) to ASEAN kicked off the meetings at the ASEAN Convention Center in Clark on Friday morning.

The ASEAN Senior Economic Officials’ Preparatory Meeting (Prep-SEOM) also took place here Friday, to gear up for the meetings of the ASEAN Economic Ministers (AEM) in Manila on Nov.12.  

At the same time, the Senior Economic Officials (SEO) from China, Japan, and South Korea are joining the ASEAN SEOM for the Prep-SEOM Plus Three Consultations also here Friday.

The economic ministers are expected to meet next week for the Preparatory Meeting of the AEM, the15th ASEAN Economic Community (AEC), and the Preparatory Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Ministerial Meeting (Prep-RCEP MM), where they will be joined by economic ministers from Australia, New Zealand, China, Japan, South Korea, and India.

Among the highlights of the Philippine chairmanship of the ASEAN Summit is the ASEAN-Hong Kong Free Trade Agreement (AHKFTA), which will be signed on Sunday. Hong Kong will be ASEAN’s seventh economy with the free trade deal.

In 2015, ASEAN was Hong Kong’s second largest trading partner, while Hong Kong was the seventh largest trading partner for the region.

On Saturday, the ASEAN Senior Officials and the RCEP Trade Negotiating Committee (TNC) will hold their respective Preparatory Meetings.

The ASEAN-led RCEP are pushing for significant outcomes this year for the new free trade bloc.

The 16 participating countries of the RCEP account for 30 percent of the global economy and almost half of the world’s population. (PNA)

Sulu Circumferential roads boost the living condition of Parang Municipality - Engineer Abdulmunir Hadjirul

Jolo, Sulu - The Department of Public Works and Highways, Sulu 1st Engineering District Engineer Abdulmunir I. Hadjirul together with Assemblyman Hanibal  Tulawie   conducted  project  survey at Parang Municipality regarding the on-going construction of circumferential roads last October.

The said circumferential roads is one of the flagship projects of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao under Governor Mujiv Hataman thru the effort of Secretary Mustapha "Don" Loong of the said department.

During the survey, Hadjirul said that his department together with  his engineers  has  doubled their times and efforts to give a full blast implementation and for the early completion of the said projects.

Hadjirul personally manned the projects even though the peace and order isn't  yet stable because he wants to serve the people of Sulu by doing good to implement the projects of the government by all cause.

Assemblyman Hanibal Tulawie also said, that  this project of the Autonomous Region or ARMM boosting the living condition of the people here and it pave the way for development. "I am very thankful that the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao respond immediately the needs of the people more particular the farm-to-market roads, school buildings, water systems, sea wall, ports and even small problems of every municipalities has totally heard and implemented",  Tulawie said during the survey.

Sulu  DPWH 1st Engineering Districts Engineers headed by District Engineer Abdulmunir I. Hadjirul, ADE, Engineer Ajan Ajijul  together with Assemblyman Hanibal Tulawie of ARMM posed during the circumferential road inspection last October 25, 2017 in Parang, Sulu.

The Parang Circumferential roads connecting to other municipalities were almost done or finish.

It is a big help to the residents here because they can easily transport their products to the market in a short span of time with a very affordable fare, said Abdulkarim, a resident of Parang Municipality. 

"Masaya kami na taga Parang, dahil nagkaroon na kami ng maganda at malapad na kalsada na ginawa ng DPWH dito, madali kami makapunta sa Jolo para magbenta ng aming mga produkto sa mababang pamasahe, at sa ngayon medyo umangat ang aming pamumuhay", Abdulkarim said in his own language during the interview.

Meanwhile, District Engineer Abdulmunir Hadjirul also added that the  projects implemented of his district enhance the living condition of the people here . "From arm to farm" instead of fighting the government", they helps  the government by farming because of a good road conditions and more instant projects  from the government considering it could help the people here. (By: Becky D. de Asis)