MANILA, Philippines – Inanunsyo ni Speaker Faustino G. Dy III nitong Sabado, Marso 28 na ang hosting ng Pilipinas ng ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA) meetings ngayong taon ay lilimitahan sa in-person activities sa General Assembly sa Oktubre at Interface Meeting sa Nobyembre habang gagawin na lamang sa virtual platform ang lahat ng preparatory meetings.
Ang hakbang na ito ay kaugnay ng direktiba ni Pangulong Ferdinand Marcos Jr. na gawing simple ang official engagements para sa papalapit na ASEAN Summit kasabay ng pagtugon sa economic pressures dahil sa mga kaguluhan sa Middle East.
“Following the guidance of the President, we are adopting necessary austerity measures in our AIPA hosting—without compromising its objectives,” ani Dy.
“We will focus our resources on the meetings that matter most, while ensuring that the work of parliamentary diplomacy continues uninterrupted.”
“Patuloy po nating gagampanan ang iniatas na tungkulin sa atin bilang host ng AIPA. Gayunpaman, hindi natin puwedeng isantabi ang epekto ng krisis sa Middle East—lalo na ang pagtaas ng presyo ng langis—na direktang magpapabigat sa magiging gastusin kabilang ang plane fares at iba pang logistical requirements,” paliwanag ni Dy.
Sinabi naman ni Deputy Speaker at Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Maria Rachel Arenas, namumuno sa organizing efforts ng AIPA ng Kamara na ang prepasyon ay inaayos para masiguro ang smooth transition sa hybrid format.
“Following the instructions of Speaker Dy, we are aligning all committees and participating delegations with the revised structure. The General Assembly, scheduled in October, and Interface Meeting in November, will proceed as planned, while all other preparatory engagements will be conducted through secure and efficient virtual platforms,” ani Arenas.
“We wholeheartedly support this move by the speaker as this decision allows us to remain fully engaged with our ASEAN counterparts while ensuring that our preparations are focused, efficient, and outcome-driven,” dagdag pa niya.
“Sa bawat desisyon natin, mahalaga pong palagi nating unahin ang kapakanan ng mamamayan. By maximizing digital platforms, we reduce costs, ease the burden on public resources, and continue to fulfill our responsibilities to our ASEAN partners,” ayon naman kay Dy. RNT/JGC
