APEC Voices of the Future c/o National Youth Achievement Award Council 151 Lorong Chuan #06-01B (Lobby A) New Tech Park, Singapore 556741 Tel: +65 67336753 Fax: +65 67336754 E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.apecvoices.org APEC Voices of the Future 2015 Delegate Booklet Cover Design The design of the delegates’ booklet showcases the cityscape of Makati. The designer, Gabrielle Michaela L. Tanjutco, incorporated the colors yellow, blue and red as inspired by the shades of the Philippine flag. Yellow represents people’s unity and freedom, blue stands for peace, truth and justice while the red found on the ribbon represents Filipino patriotism and valor. Her chosen subject, a city, indicates the progress, dynamism, and growth of the country. The city was founded on an unused swampland south of the capital, Manila. Makati has now become the dynamic financial trading center of the Philippines, a multi-cultural hub. The city is aptly chosen to host this year’s APEC Summit because it is now at the forefront of the Philippine development story. The green landscape at the bottom of the cover booklet not only incorporates the theme “Building a Sustainable Future: Inclusive Growth, Resilience and Empowerment” but also presents the predominantly agricultural setting that comprises the Philippine economy. Many small-medium enterprises are involved in this industry, which makes the Philippines economy vibrant and stable. Having a competitive advantage in trading products including mangoes, banana, coconuts, pineapple and even tuna makes the country a prime choice for investment. By aligning sustainability and inclusive growth, the country hopes to become one of fastest growing economies in the world. On the Designer Gabrielle “Gabie’’ Tanjutco is a full-stack designer from the Philippines whose diverse work has been featured on both the web and print in the Philippines, U.S.A, United Kingdom, and other countries. She has done work ranging from layout design to web development with both local and international companies and organizations. As a full-stack designer, Gabie is a cross-disciplinary designer who can layout your cookbook and code the foundation of your website. When not designing or coding things, Gabie supports SAGIP to advocate Women’s Rights and helps raise funds for projects by One Million Lights Philippines and UNICEF. Learn more about her at www.gabietanj.com or www.behance.net/gabie. Contents APEC Voices Program 2 Messages 3 Background on APEC Voices Leadership Council 9 APEC Voices Leadership Council 10 APEC Voices 2015 Working Committee 11 History of the APEC Voices of the Future Program 13 APEC 2015 Voices of the Future Logo Interpretation 15 Organizations behind the APEC Voices 2015 16 APEC Voices 2015 Program 17 APEC CEO Summit 2015 Program 22 APEC SME Summit 2015 Program 29 Distinguished Speakers 32 APEC Voices 2015 Youth Forum 37 APEC Voices 2015 Key Partner 39 Programs with ADB 40 Gawad Kalinga Enchanted Farm Angat 45 Main Attractions in Manila 50 Green Sun Hotel 54 Phone Access Codes 55 Embassy/Representative Office Contacts in Manila 56 APEC Voices 2015 Delegates 58 APEC Voices 2015 Delegates Grouping List 62 APEC Voices 2015 Official Carrier 69 The June Mayne Gould Leadership Award 70 Sponsors 71 Acknowledgements 72 1 The APEC Voices Program The APEC Voices of the Future is an annual program that allows special teams of young people and educators from the 21 APEC Economies to attend the APEC Summit. By working and learning together, the APEC Voices’ teams are able to share their views on the APEC vision with APEC Leaders, Senior Officials, ABAC Members and CEOs. Through their participation in the APEC process, APEC Voices delegates are given the rare opportunity to engage in dialogues with top policymakers, foster cooperation and prosperity in the classrooms and communities of the Asia-Pacific Region. This year’s APEC Voices of the Future Program will be held in Manila, Philippines, in conjunction with the APEC CEO Summit 2015. For more details on the APEC Voices Program, please visit the website: http://www.apecvoices.org 2 Message My warmest greetings to all the delegates to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Voices of the Future Program. The APEC is where policy and decision makers come together to share their ideas and listen to each other’s suggestions in an effort to come up with agreements to make a more inclusive and progressive Asia-Pacific region. While much weight is given to the thoughts of experts, officials, and leaders who are invited to take part in this event, it is my firm belief that there is no voice more significant, more consequential, or more deserving of an audience than those whose future we are striving to make better: the youth. You are the heirs to both the legacy and consequences of our present actions; your opinion matters as much as ours. After all, it is your future that is at stake in these proceedings, so I expect that we will learn as much from you as you will from us. It is my hope that our conversations will not only be rich and informative, but also sincere, genuine, and honest. I encourage you to tell us all of your concerns, your dreams, and the kind of global community you envision yourselves living in so that, together, we can shape a world that we can proudly bequeath to coming generations. I wish you will have a fun, enlightening, and meaningful event. BENIGNO S. AQUINO III President of the Republic of the Philippines 3 Message I extend my warmest greetings and congratulations to the participants to the APEC Voices of the Future Program. I commend the officers and members of this program for your dedication in providing a meaningful learning experience for our youth and harnessing their idealism in realizing the goals and aspirations of our nation. It is hoped that the participants will have the opportunity to discuss the role of APEC in resolving key issues concerning the region so that its member countries may enjoy better mutual understanding and relations, economic integration, growth and prosperity. Our country is moving towards economic integration in the ASEAN community. While this means more opportunities for local business and industries, there is also a need to come up with better products and services that can compete in the foreign markets. It is therefore imperative to set our sights on a more integrative competition framework to attract investments, spur economic efficiency, and ultimately bring about a dynamic and sustainable economic growth and national progress. To the organizers of this event, I trust that you will continue to exude leadership and remain steadfast partners of government in developing our youth and encouraging them to commit to nation building. Mabuhay po kayong lahat! FRANKLIN M. DRILON Senate President Republic of the Philippines Senate Pasay City 4 Message It is my pleasure to welcome the youth delegates from the APEC Voices of the Future to the Philippines. This year, we are pleased to host the 2015 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders’ Week and the APEC CEO Summit in Manila, Philippines. As the Host Economy, the Philippines chose the theme, “Building Inclusive Economies, Building a Better World”, reflecting the necessity to strengthen economic relationships among APEC Member Economies to promote sustainable and inclusive growth. The collaboration among APEC economies plays an integral role in improving the lives of many people in the Asia-Pacific region by creating jobs and providing people with better living environments. APEC 2015 also serves as a platform to identify and address issues that encourage the growth of business-friendly environments within the Asia-Pacific. These issues include investment in human capital and infrastructure, helping SMEs break into regional and global markets, ensuring that the business environment remains sustainable and resilient to changes, and ensuring the region’s economy is able to integrate with the global market. The youth cannot afford to sit back during these crucial times, for they will inherit the shared future we are building today. It is crucial for the youth to be involved and to engage meaningfully as policymakers across the region develop action plans and initiatives towards peace and prosperity. The youth of today’s Asia-Pacific will soon be the leaders of APEC. I believe it only natural for our world’s greatest stakeholders to have their voice heard loud and clear. Thus, I strongly encourage the youth leaders in APEC Voices 2015 to seize the opportunity to ask questions, seek answers, and offer possible solutions to the policymakers here. Together, the discussion we create allows us to learn from each other and to work together as a global community. You do not have to wait for your turn to lead—we need your voice, and we need it now. May I take this opportunity to wish you a fruitful event. I hope you make many new friends along the way, for after all, the world is held together by the force of genuine human connections. All the best in your future endeavors. CESAR V. PURISIMA Secretary of Finance Republic of the Philippines 5 Message On behalf of the Office of International Economic Relations, Department of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of the Philippines, I would like to extend a warm welcome to the delegates of the APEC Voices of the Future 2015 to the Philippines. The APEC Week will provide you an excellent platform to witness the inner- workings of APEC, along with the opportunity to see how APEC Leaders benefit the Asia-Pacific region through formulating policies that promote economic cooperation and free-trade between Member Economies. In today’s fast-changing environment, emerging economies in the Asia-Pacific region have to constantly adapt to cope with these changes and become resilient engines of global growth.