[asia-apec 15] Phil PO-NGO Summit on Apec, 4/5 July

[Mario R R Mapanao]

This is a slightly expanded e-mailed flash report from Manila that I shared
with Hong Kong NGOs early July....
 
I count myself fortunate to have been in Manila at the time of the
Philippine PO-NGO Summit on Apec, 4/5 July.  The summit served to
consolidate the Philippine PO-NGO contributions of participants coming from
different formations, as country input to the Manila People's Forum on Apec
this coming November.

Cluster fora (eg, people's rights, labour and migrant rights, environment,
economic and social development, politics and governance) met in workshop,
and regional groups had their own position papers (eg., Mindanao, Visayas,
Central Luzon). There was also a one day women's forum prior to the summit
proper, and a "women's forum statement for the Apec Manila process" was
produced. Each cluster came out with their agenda/program of action which
was presented and discussed in plenary.

I would like to share some of my notes from the sessions I got to attend....

What emerged from the whole processing was the basic stance to OPPOSE Apec.
The elements of opposition are: the transformation of Apec into a trading
bloc, the undemocratic processes, and the Ramos government's leadership of
turning Apec into free trade area.  In the context of opposition is to
engage APEC by way of the people's viewpoint (people-to-people exchange)
outside of the Apec process, offering alternatives, exposing the US role,
holding Philipppine government accountable, stressing negative effects of
Apec, promoting regional cooperation, information campaign, and linking with
civil society.

Elements of alternative development model were spelled out as follows:
sustainability, equity, gender equality; must meet human needs; people's
participation; affirmation of people's and human rights- indigenous peoples,
women, children, disabled; based on self-sufficiency; interdependence of
communities; and reliance on local resources.

On principles guiding regional cooperation: economic relations must be
based on economic cooperation not competition; fair trade, not free
trade; subsidiarity, localization, decentralization; local
self-efficiency; reliance on local resources; not principally be based on
trade but concerns like labour code, environmental code; people's control over
trade, not corporations; mutually beneficial interdependence and
solidarity among peoples, communities and countries.

A summit statement was produced and discussed (see asia-apec 9).

I also attended the Bayan press conference at the National Press Club on 9
July, in preparation for a November people's conference against imperialist
globalization on the theme: "Strengthen international solidarity and advance
the people's struggle against imperialism". Bayan's call is for the
Philippine government to withdraw from (hosting) Apec. Written presentations
were made by Satur Ocampo, Ed Villegas and Vicky Tauli-Corpuz.

Best.

Mario Mapanao
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