08 November 2014 – Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert F. del Rosario arrived in Beijing in the morning of November 07 to participate in the 26th APEC Ministerial Meeting, co-chaired by China’s Foreign Affairs Minister Wang Yi and Commerce Minister Gao Hucheng.

Foreign Affairs and Trade Ministers from APEC’s 21 member economies gathered for the 26th APEC Ministerial Meeting to prepare for the forthcoming APEC Economic Leaders Meeting. Secretary Del Rosario and Trade and Industry Secretary Gregory L. Domingo led the Philippine delegation.

In his statement at the meeting, Secretary Del Rosario identified human capital development with emphasis on science and technology, as the top strategy for economic growth, as well as the alignment of education and training programs with industrial requirements.

The Secretary commended the establishment of the APEC Higher Education Research Center (AHERC) and the APEC Scholarship Roadmap in advancing cross-border education. He informed the meeting of the Philippines’ participation in the APEC Scholarship Program.

He underlined the importance of other connectivity initiatives, such as transportation and logistics, financial services, and professional mobility.

Secretary Del Rosario took the opportunity to thank the APEC economies for their unwavering support that enabled the Philippines to move forward with rehabilitation and reconstruction after Typhoon Haiyan. (END)