PHILIPPINE TRADE SECRETARY ROXAS TO SPEAK AT INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS CONFERENCE IN KUALA LUMPUR

HONOLULU (March 19, 2002) — Philippine Secretary of Trade & Industry Manuel A. Roxas II will speak at the Pacific Basin Economic Council’s (PBEC) 35th International General Meeting (IGM) on Monday, May 6, 2002.

The Honorable Dato’ Seri Dr. . Mahathir bin Mohamad Mohamad, Prime Minister of Malaysia, and Her Excellency Gloria Macapagal Arroyo Arroyo, President of the Philippines, will also be speaking at the conference.

Leading business executives, heads of government, and governmental ministers from throughout Asia, the Pacific, and the Americas will gather at the IGM in Kuala Lumpur to discuss international economic and trade issues. The conference — focusing on the theme of “Striving for Growth in a Challenging Environment” — will be held May 3-7.

Secretary Roxas will be speaking in the ministerial plenary “Facilitating Growth in the Pacific,” which will focus on growth and stability in the struggle to adapt to globalization.

Secretary Roxas is a staunch advocate of global trade liberalization as a means to strengthen the Philippine economy. He also promotes the equal role and commitment of developed and developing countries in multilateral trade negotiations.

He has been named by Asiaweek as one of “the young leaders in politics and business who will bring Asia and the Pacific at the forefront of world affairs.” And the World Economic Forum recognized Roxas as “one of the Global Leaders of Tomorrow who are expected to shape the future.” Prior to his current position, he served for six years as a Representative in the Philippine Congress. He has also worked as a businessman and an investment banker.

An ambitious conference agenda has been developed for the Kuala Lumpur IGM, tackling issues such as: the economic aspects of the war on terrorism, new developments in trade and investment liberalization; as well as industry overviews including the biotechnology and financial markets. There will also be breakfast chats with global personalities – ranging from business leaders to media experts to artists – and private, off-the-record Ministerial Roundtables are planned.

PBEC’s International General Meeting is an opportunity for the region’s foremost corporate executives to gather with other international leaders to discuss, in a frank and intimate setting, the key issues in the regional economy, and to publicly issue policy recommendations and statements directed toward such organizations as the WTO and the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC). The IGM typically includes major addresses given by heads of government, governmental ministers, leaders of prominent international organizations, and senior executives of some of the largest corporations in the region.

ABOUT PBEC:

• PBEC is an international association of senior business leaders representing approximately 1,000 major corporations in 20 economies around the Pacific, which account for more than US $4 trillion in global sales and employ more than 10 million people.
• PBEC is a forum through which business leaders create new business relationships, exchange views with government officials, and produce recommendations on key business issues.
• The unprecedented scope of PBEC’s membership constitutes a broad and balanced reservoir of international business knowledge, unmatched in credibility and expertise. PBEC is the independent voice of business in the Pacific.

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Contact:
Steve Olson
Pacific Basin Economic Council
900 Fort Street, Suite 1080
Honolulu, HI 96813 USA
Tel.: +1-808-521-9044/Fax: +1-808-521-8530
E-Mail: steve@pbec.org
Web: http://www.pbec.org