Colorful events, flotilla set for ASEAN’s 50th year in Baguio

By Liza T. Agoot

BAGUIO CITY –Colorful events will be held here to highlight Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Day as an important celebration as the golden year of the regional organization is commemorated which the Philippines is hosting.

Baguio will have a flotilla and there will be 10 boats carrying each member-country’s flag and the ASEAN flag with a lady clad in the national attire of Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, Singapore, Brunei, Laos PDR, Cambodia, Myanmar, and Vietnam.

At the center stage is the ASEAN 2017 logo, the primary symbol of this year’s ASEAN summits and the Philippine chairmanship. The boats will parade at the lake.

 Helen Tibaldo, Philippine Information Agency regional director, said the flotilla, an initiative of the PCOO-PIA-Cordillera, will be placed at the Burnham lake which is a landmark of the country’s summer capital.

This will be followed by the lighting of the ASEAN lantern at the Baguio City Hall, which will be simultaneous in the other key cities in the Philippines.

Joma Rivera, city tourism officer, said that “on August 8, Baguio together with other key cities and towns where the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) meetings will be held, shall have a simultaneous Landmark Lighting on the occasion of its 50th founding anniversary. As such, the city will have a program at 7 p.m. at the Baguio City Hall Flagpole grounds which will include the ceremonial lighting of the Baguio City Hall and the ASEAN lantern.”

The events to be held to make the milestone of the 10-member state regional organization historic are also aimed at enhancing awareness and appreciation of the ASEAN particularly its member-states' history, as well as opportunities and challenges.

The event in Baguio will have Police Chief Inspector Kimberly Molitas, spokesperson of the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) as guest speaker.

 She is also expected to give a briefing on the ASEAN gains on peace and security at the international and national level within the ASEAN context and related updates.  -- PNA