Free massage, meals await 4,000 local, foreign media

It’s not only the heads of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) member-economies who will  be getting a taste of  Filipino hospitality when the Apec event unfolds next week.

Some 4,000 foreign and local journalists covering the event can expect VIP treatment as well, with free-flowing coffee, buffet meals and even free massage waiting for them at the World Trade Center in Manila, the designated media and communications hub for the entire duration of the Apec Economic Leaders’ Week.

“Essentially, this will be the journalists’ home for a week,” deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said on Thursday at the media hub’s opening.  “We want to make sure that everyone is comfortable. There [will be] food, lounges and relaxation points,” she added.

“Press briefings at the International Media Center (IMC) for the Apec summit are huge conferences by themselves,” the Palace official said, adding that the concept behind the center was borne out of the country’s previous experiences as guest in other Apec summits.

“We tried to adopt all the best practices, especially in the technical aspects,” Valte said.

The Apec National Organizing Council said one particular innovation at the IMC was the provision of individual elevated stand-up platforms equipped with phones, air-conditioning, lighting battens and V and A circuits for seamless live reporting and international news delivery.

Five briefing rooms

The media hub run by state-owned RTVM and the Presidential Communications Operations Office also has five briefing rooms and a main conference hall where press conferences will be held.

Other services offered are the capture of raw footage from events, synchronizing media pools, arranging live feeds with news agencies around the world and ensuring that media information about Apec is delivered globally.

But the media hub offers journalists taking time-off from their Apec coverage a host of services as well.

Aside from free-flowing coffee and buffet lunch and dinner at the dining hall, there’s also a lounge where journalists can get a free massage. A giant TV  screen showing shots of the country’s scenic spots adds to the relaxing vibe, while a designated prayer room offers some quiet space.

For those hoping to do some shopping after the event, the media hub also has an exhibit hall showcasing locally made products, from handicrafts and  jewelry to local delicacies.

Best practices

The ideas for the varied facilities and services at the media hub were “a mix of the best practices that previous (Apec) hosts had done,” Valte said, citing the experiences of Philippine delegations in Yokohama in 2010, Honolulu in 2011, Vladivostok in 2012, Bali in 2013, and Beijing, China last year.

The idea for the spa came from the Indonesians in 2013, she added.

“Indonesia is famous for its spa, and we wanted to have the same so it’s not just all work for the journalists,” Valte said, adding that the Philippines’ limited resources in hosting the Apec event prevented it from adopting other concepts previously done by other countries.

Nevertheless, the Philippines wanted foreign and local journalists to feel the warmth of Filipino hospitality, according to Communication Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr.

“We Filipinos pride ourselves in extending the best of the warmth of our hospitality to all our friends and visitors. And this is why we have spared no effort in making the World Trade Center, our International Media Center, a real home for working journalists,” Coloma said during the opening ceremony of the Apec Expo Philippines.