By Ollie Quiniquini
Cebu International Convention Center (CICC), built for the 12th ASEAN Summit in December, is expected to be completed by November 12.
CICC, which occupies 3.8 hectares of reclaimed land in the south of Mandaue City, will be used from December 6 to 14 for pre-summit and actual summit meetings. The three-storey building will have a helipad and a total floor area of 20,000m².
Department of Foreign Affairs director-general for ASEAN, Mr Luis Cruz, said Cebu could attract more international conventions and exhibitions once CICC was completed, since it also had an international airport.
Hilton Cebu Resort and Spa director of sales and marketing, Ms Odette Aguilar, said: “CICC will be the province’s first truly international convention facility. With this, Cebu can be on par with other international convention destinations.”
Cebu is expected to reap a windfall from its hosting of the summit. Attendance is estimated at 5,000 Filipino delegates, 3,000 foreign delegates and 2,000 international media, with foreigners staying at least four days and spending at least US$200 a day.
Department of Tourism secretary, Mr Joseph Durano, said the mere fact that heads of state were willing to congregate in the country would go a long way to dispel perceptions the Philippines was unsafe. “A lot of the delegates will be going on post tours, even the heads of states themselves. These are mainly short single destination tours though some have asked for longer ones. The ASEAN Summit will have direct economic benefits for the country. The long-term benefits from the free publicity and promotions are immeasurable.”
Heads of states will stay at Shangri-La’s Mactan Island Resort and Spa. Its Ocean Pavilion will be the venue for the summit’s Leaders Retreat on December 12. Twelve summit-related meetings will be held at Marco Polo Plaza Hotel, while Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and Casino will host the ASEAN Business and Investment Summit.
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