The Philippines, specifically Cebu province, is all set for the hosting of the 12th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit on December 10-14, Ambassador Victorino Lecaros, ASEAN Summit Spokesman said Wednesday.

"All systems are ready here for the Summit," said Lecaros, adding that physical and security matters are in place and Cebu is ready to host 16 leaders of the ASEAN member states and their dialogue partners despite the limited time given the Philippines to prepare for the regional event. Cebu City is located on the central eastern part of Cebu Province, an island at the center of the Visayas in Southern Philippines.

He said other host countries have at least two years to prepare for the top-level meeting, while the Philippines had only a year to do it after Myanmar declined to serve for the summit for political reasons.

The spokesman said the construction of the Cebu International Convention Center (CICC) started only last April and in just a matter of nine months, it is now a world-class international convention center.

The CICC, one of the venues of the ASEAN leaders' meetings, is now completed and everything is in place, including media and communications facilities, Lecaros said.

Meanwhile, all security systems are in place for the ASEAN Summit in Cebu, the Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Oscar Calderon said Tuesday.

Veteran riot police units from the National Capital Regional Police Office have been sent to Cebu for the forthcoming conference. The PNP will field 6,000 police officers to secure the delegates. Lawmen will use 200 patrol jeeps, 200 patrol cars, 279 motorcycles, 5,000 firearms, 250 hand-held radios and 15 mobile and base radios, Calderon said.

He said law enforcers would do a daily threat assessment, citing security risks and other incidents that could disrupt the conference.

On top of their monitoring tasks are planned rallies by militant organizations that want to play up the growing number of extrajudicial killings of Filipino activists.

The PNP, Calderon warned, would strictly enforce the "no permit, no rally" rule. Police have orders to arrest anyone, including foreigners, who violate the regulations.

Cebu officials are finding ways to ease the monstrous traffic. Several major thoroughfares are closed when ASEAN leaders will move from one venue to another during the four-day summit.

Sixteen world leaders, 10 from the ASEAN and 6 from ASEAN's dialogue partners, will attend the 12th ASEAN Summit, the highest decision-making body of the regional economic grouping.

The 10 ASEAN members are Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. The six others are from China, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, Australia and India, ASEAN's dialogue partners.

The Philippines will be hosting an ASEAN Summit for the second time since the regional grouping came into being in 1967.

Source: Xinhua