13 November 2003 – Foreign Affairs Secretary Blas F. Ople told reporters today that preparations are in full steam to make the Philippines’ hosting of the Forum for East Asia-Latin America Cooperation (FEALAC) a truly significant and memorable experience for the participating member-countries.

“The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has been tasked by the Office of the President to spearhead this endeavor and the Department has since been working double-shift to organize next year’s FEALAC Conference in Manila and make it, not only substantially significant in terms of the agreements that will be
inked, but also in the experience of  the participating delegates from the different FEALAC-member countries,” Secretary Ople said.

The DFA, as chair of the FEALAC National Organizing Committee, will be working closely with other government agencies such as the Departments of Trade and Industry, and Toursim, among others, as well as with private entities to prepare for the event, which shall take place on 28-31 January 2004.

Since FEALAC’s inception four years ago, the Philippines, which is one of the organization’s founding members, has been at the forefront of invigorating and strengthening this nascent multilateral dialogue, still considered a rookie among international organizations.

The Secretary said that “it is auspicious that the Philippines will be hosting the FEALAC Conference next year as it further augments the country’s heightened participation in international affairs.”

It will be remembered that the Philippines has just recently been voted by a landslide to a two-year non-permanent seat that the United Nations Security Council.  President Arroyo was also invited to the attend the 10th OIC Summit in Kuala Lumpur last month, which in turn boosted our continuing bid to be granted
observer status with the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC).

The Secretary expressed confidence that FEALAC will continue to become a major regional bloc that will eventually play a significant role in determining international policy.  “With the agenda for the upcoming FEALAC Conference called the Manila Plan of Action, I am confident that FEALAC as a group of
nations with common goals will soon be setting its sights on bigger things.  END.