11 August 2015 – The “Queen City of the South” will host the APEC Third Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM) and Related Meetings from August 22 to September 06.  Delegates from 21 APEC-member economies will experience the warm hospitality and vibrant atmosphere of Cebu’s bustling metropolis.

SOM 3, traditionally the most heavily attended due to the number of meetings, brings together APEC Working Groups, Sub-fora and Committees to continue discussions on trade and investment liberalization, business facilitation, and economic cooperation within the Asia-Pacific region. Issues to be tackled, range from illegal logging; mining; health; counter-terrorism; food safety; intellectual property rights; standards and conformance; sustainability of cities; disaster risk management, among others. These meetings continue to strengthen this year’s four priorities under the overarching theme of “Building Economies, Building a Better World”: 1) enhancing regional economic integration; 2) fostering MSMEs’ participation in regional and global markets; 3) investing in human capital development and 4) building sustainable and resilient communities.

The culminating event is the Senior Officials’ Meeting on September 05 to 06 where Vice Ministers and Directors General will endorse initiatives that aim to make the region more dynamic, resilient, and inclusive.

The Cebu meeting follows the successful Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM) and Related Meetings and the Ministers Responsible for Trade (MRT) in Boracay in May.

Following the SOM are two Ministerial-level meetings: the Structural Reform Ministerial Meeting (SRMM) on September 07 to 08 and the Finance Ministerial Meeting (FMM) on September 09 to 11 September 2015. The meetings will be chaired by the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) and the Department of Finance (DOF), respectively. END