Albay to host 10 Apec ministerial events in 2015

LEGAZPI CITY—Albay province will host at least 10 of the 63 ministerial events of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) summit to be held in the country in 2015.

Albay Gov. Joey Salceda said the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), the lead agency in charge of the Apec summit preparations, has agreed that the province would be allowed to host 10 events while the rest of the 53 events would be shared by other regions interested to host the Apec ministerial meetings to be held between March and December 2015.

Salceda made this announcement on Friday after he was formally commissioned reserve officer of the Air Force with the rank of lieutenant colonel.

Salceda in an interview said that during his bidding presentation in Manila last week, the DTI officials were convinced that the province is ready to host some of the Apec’s ministerial events because of its scenic venues, hotels, tourist destinations and effective disaster risk reduction program in place.

Salceda said the province is now ready with 2,900 rooms and will produce 600 more rooms in time for the summit to comply with the 3,500 rooms required for the ministerial meetings. Mar S. Arguelles, Inquirer Southern Luzon