Cebuanos Call for Unity during ASEAN Summit 2006

Congressman Antonio Cuenco (Cebu City South District) called on fellow Cebuanos Monday to unite in giving visitors and delegates attending the 12th Association of Southeast Asian Nations Summit a red-carpet welcome.

Cuenco said the holding of the summit provides a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that will provide a slew of benefits to the province and to the country as well.

He pointed out that apart from the goodwill, there will also be a lot of revenues that will be generated from hosting the meeting and the influx of delegates who will stay in various hotels.

These benefits, Cuenco said, is a direct reflection of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's engagement in international relations which she is bringing home.

"Engagement with other countries introduces all our people to the opportunities that the world holds in store," he said.

Cuenco pointed out that while the province cannot prevent foreign and local groups from holding protest rallies in line with the ASEAN meetings, "they should hold their protest actions in peace" in accordance with the constitutional rights in a democratic country like the Philippines.

In a related development, Romeo Bautista, a computer technician of the Air Transportation Office (ATO) at the Mactan-Cebu International Airport, said that Cebuanos are peace-loving people as he appealed to militant groups coming from Manila not to disturb the ASEAN Summit.

"We want to welcome the delegates to our city. If the militant groups want to protest, they should protest in Manila or elsewhere and not in Cebu City. We want to show our guests that Cebuanos are warm and hospitable people," Bautista said. (PNA)