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50th Workshop Meeting of Heads of NPOs
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Opening Remarks
by Deputy Director-General Margarita R. Songco, National Economic and Development Authority and APO Director for the Philippines
The Honorable Executive Secretary Eduardo R. Ermita, Asian Productivity Organization (APO) Secretary-General Shigeo Takenaka, Development Academy of the Philippines (DAP) President Antonio Kalaw, Jr., distinguished National Productivity Organizations (NPO) and Agriculture delegates, APO Secretariat staff, colleagues from the DAP, ladies, and gentlemen, good morning.
First of all, I would like to express my sincerest appreciation to His Excellency Executive Secretary Ermita for being with us today. It is very rare for the Executive Secretary to leave the palace. One of the few occasions was when I saw him defend the budget of the Office of the President before the House of Representatives last week. So we are indeed a privileged group.
On behalf of the Government of the Republic of the Philippines, a very warm welcome to all of you, in particular to our foreign partners in the productivity movement. It is an honor for the Philippines to be hosting this 50th Workshop Meeting of Heads of NPOs as we prepare for the 50th anniversary of the APO.
I know that some of you had apprehensions about proceeding with this meeting in Manila in the aftermath of the two destructive typhoons that hit the Philippines a few weeks ago. As mentioned by DAP President Kalaw, there is another typhoon coming our way that is expected to make landfall in northern Luzon by Thursday afternoon. You will still be here then. We are grateful for your presence today. It is an indication of your commitment and the importance that you give to this meeting. I can assure you that the DAP, which serves as our NPO, will make your stay as productive, interesting, and comfortable as possible.
In June of this year, I was privileged to participate in a forum on the social protection responses to the three waves of crisis, i.e., food, fuel, and finance (which eventually affected the real estate sector). In the course of the meeting, someone made reference to a fourth crisis, i.e., the H1N1 virus. Further, recent developments not only in the Philippines but also in the region and a forthcoming event in December in Copenhagen point to another challenge: climate change. We are living in very challenging and interesting times. These challenges, which can open doors to opportunities, are occurring in an environment of rapid changes brought about by globalization and advances in information technology, among others. Perhaps, under the aegis of the APO, we can make our own productivity responses to the crises, both in the private and public sectors.
As we are aware and as will be expounded upon later by Secretary-General Takenaka, there are two major tasks before us: first, is the finalization of the APO Program Plan for 2010; and second is the review of the proposed priority projects for 2011 and 2012. While the Secretariat has already prioritized the projects using a set of criteria, it may also be useful to determine if such projects help us in meeting the challenges and addressing their impacts. I have noted that most of the proposed programs/projects already hew in this direction.
Productivity is a critical ingredient for development. In our monitoring of the performance of countries in the face of the global economic crisis, one report comes to mind. It mentioned that while that particular country continued to experience increased unemployment, it nevertheless registered productivity improvements.
In the past, the APO has made significant contributions to the expansion of opportunities for cooperation and greater socioeconomic development of countries in the Asia-Pacific region. These are in the areas of productivity and quality enhancement, environmental protection, and community development. Recently, the APO has ventured into public-sector productivity. The APO likewise provided avenues for linking not only member countries but also nonmember countries and other international organizations. These have all been made possible by the tireless efforts of the APO Secretariat headed by the Secretary-General and our respective NPOs.
Not satisfied with past achievements, the APO Secretariat went through a physical and organizational restructuring to attain greater efficiency and effectiveness in its operations. Innovations in the delivery of programs and projects were also introduced to optimize the benefits for all participating countries. Such innovations included conducting online courses and national programs that addresses the particular needs of member countries. I believe that with the full participation and continued cooperation of the heads of NPOs, specific directions will be generated in this WSM thereby enabling member countries to position themselves to face bigger challenges and contribute to inclusive growth in the region.
Before I close, let me thank the APO Secretariat for its valuable support to the DAP in the organization of this meeting. My personal thanks goes to the DAP headed by President Kalaw for mounting this second major APO event in the Philippines in one year. I would like to reiterate our appreciation to the Executive Secretary for his unstinting support for APO projects. Finally, I wish you a very productive discussion during the meeting and an enjoyable stay in Manila. Thank you.