MANILA— The National Economic and Development Authority is host to five related meetings of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation First Senior Officials’ Meeting (APEC SOM1) from January 31 to February 7, 2015 in Clark Freeport Zone, Pampanga.

The NEDA serves as focal agency to the meeting of the Economic Committee (EC), EC Workshops on the APEC New Strategy for Structural Reform (ANSSR), Joint EC- Group on Services (GOS) Meeting, and the Seminar on United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) Model Law Instruments.

Deputy Director-General Emmanuel F. Esguerra serves as the convenor of the GOS, and as chair of the meeting of the APEC Policy Support Unit (PSU) Board.

“The turnout of the GOS meeting is something to look forward to because there are potential gains that the Filipinos can enjoy from this industry as we move toward a greater regional economic integration,” said Esguerra.

Meanwhile, the Economic Committee and its related workshops and activities will focus on the committee’s contributions to the APEC 2015 priorities, structural reforms and their implementation.

DDG Esguerra is the Vice Senior Official of the Philippine delegation to the Senior Officials’ Meetings while Economic Planning Secretary Arsenio M. Balisacan will speak on the Philippine experience in structural reform at the ANSSR workshop on February 2.