MANILA – The BOAO Forum for Asia (BFA) will hold its first conference n the Philippines on April 22-23 in cooperation with the Federation of Filipino Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Inc. (FFCCCII) and Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI).
The forum, which was inaugurated in 2001 by 29 Asia-Pacific countries with former President Fidel V. Ramos in the founding board of illustrious Asia-Pacific leaders, is committed to promoting regional economic integration and bringing Asian countries even closer to their development goals.
Dr. Ban Ki-moon is the chairperson of the current Board of Directors, with House of Representatives Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo as one of the Board members.
Under Arroyo’s initiative, the Philippines will play host to the 2019 Boao Forum for Asia Manila Conference.
BFA Manila chairperson and FFCCCII Honorary President Domingo H. Yap said this is a historic opportunity for the Philippines to showcase our country’s developments across that have been fast-tracked by President Duterte’s independent foreign policy.
The forum, which will be a platform for communication among leaders, will be attended by highly select high-level government, industry and business, and organization leaders.
Incoming FFCCCII President Henry Lim Bon Liong said the BFA in Manila is a testimony to the confidence of our Asian neighbors on Philippine’s growth story.
The Philippines was represented by Arroyo in the roundtable discussion on World Trade Organization Reform in the recent high-level Boao Forum held in Hainan, China on March 26-29 themed “Shared Future, Concerted Action, Common Development”.
“China has given us the lesson that there is just not one path for development because prior to China’s experience, it was thought that the only way to development is the Western style model of Jeffersonian democracy and coupled with a free market,” Arroyo was quoted as saying.
She said the international community should consider the Asian economic giant as a strategic partner of developing countries like the Philippines. (PR)
