PGMA back from Singapore APEC meet

MANILA, Nov. 17 (PNA) -- President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 2 Sunday night after attending the annual Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit in Singapore over the weekend.

She was accompanied by Foreign Secretary Alberto Romulo, Finance Secretary Margarito Teves, Trade Secretary Peter Favila, and Press Secretary Cerge Remonde.

Also joining the President was a delegation from the House of Representatives led by Deputy Speaker Amelita Villarosa, Anna York Bondoc of Pampanga, Rachel Arenas of Pangasinan, Zenaida Angping of Manila, and Maria Coscolluela of Buhay Partylist.

The President and her delegation were accorded foyer honors led by Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita.

In an interview, Remonde hailed this year’s APEC Summit which produced two very important results: the agreement between the 21 APEC member countries to expand their economic community and the ASEAN-US Summit, a historic first between the regional bloc and US President Barack Obama.

“President Obama committed to bring ASEAN and US relationships into a higher level than the high level that it is already in now,” Remonde said.

Remonde added that the US is also supportive of the ASEAN vision to create an economic community by 2015 and the ASEAN consensus on climate change, disaster risk management, global warming, the lifting of trade barriers and protectionism and the promotion of migrant workers.