Reception Hall, Malacañan Palace
November 11, 2021

President Rodrigo Roa Duterte joined his fellow Leaders from the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Member Economies in a Dialogue with the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC) during his Participation in the 2021 APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting hosted by New Zealand via virtual convention on November 11-12, 2021.

The President articulated the Philippines’ position on addressing inclusion and sustainability challenges posed by the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and climate change.

Created by the APEC Leaders in 1995, the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC) serves as the primary voice of business in APEC. Its main mandate is to advise the Leaders and other APEC officials on issues of interest to business. Each Member Economy has three (3) members who are appointed by their respective Leaders. The ABAC meets four (4) times a year in preparation for its recommendations to the Leaders in a dialogue that is a key event in the annual Leaders’ Meeting.

The theme for the 2021 APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting is ‘Join, Work, Grow. Together.’ Chaired by New Zealand, the three (3) policy priorities for APEC 2021 are shaped by the COVID-19 crisis and include the following – economic and trade policies to strengthen recovery; increasing inclusion and sustainability for recovery; pursuing innovation, and a digitally enabled recovery.

Comprising the 21 APEC Member Economies are Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Chile, People’s Republic of China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Republic of Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Philippines, Russian Federation, Singapore, Chinese Taipei, Thailand, United States of America and Vietnam.

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