Asian Journal- The Filipino-American Community Newspaper

THIS coming November 13-14, the APEC CEO Summit 2009 will bring together more than 800 of the world’s top business leaders to Singapore to meet with leaders of some of the Pacific Rim’s most powerful nations.

The chairman of Gawad Kalinga, Tony Meloto, has been invited to be one of the speakers in the two-day summit at the Suntec Singapore International Convention and Exhibition Centre. Since engagement between the public and private sector is the highlight of the summit, interactive open dialogue and panel discussions will pave the way for the alignment of APEC policies and goals with global business, in a powerful forum where insights and ideas will be shared in preparation for the post-crisis world.

The following APEC Leaders have confirmed their attendance: President Barack Obama of the United States of America, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd of Australia, President Michelle Bachelet of Chile, President Hu Jintao of the People’s Republic of China, Chief Executive Donald Tsang of Hong Kong, China, President Dr H Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono of Indonesia, Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama of Japan, President Lee Myung-Bak of the Republic of Korea, Prime Minister Dato’ Sri Najib Razak of Malaysia, President Felipe Calderon of Mexico, Prime Minister John Key of New Zealand, President Dmitry Medvedev of Russia, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong of Singapore, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva of Thailand and President Nguyen Minh Triet of Viet Nam.

Along with Meloto, over 1,000 of the world’s top business leaders are converging in Singapore for the only international forum that offers interaction with leaders of the most powerful nations in the Pacific Rim. The CEO Summit will focus on addressing the economic crisis and key global issues. These include topics to prepare for the recovery of the global economy, strengthening corporate governance, harnessing the economics of climate change, leveraging on the power of sovereign wealth funds and multilateral institutions, as well as discussing the shape of things to come in the new global economic landscape.

Meloto’s talk about Gawad Kalinga in the CEO Summit will showcase GK as the global model of social development consistent with the UN Millennium Development Goals that seeks to reduce poverty by half by 2015. Since its launching six years ago, GK has transformed over 1700 poverty ridden and crime-laden communities throughout the Philippines. Emerging as the Asian model for community development and poverty alleviation, GK has provided successful program templates that have been replicated in Papua New Guinea, Indonesia and Cambodia. (AJPress)