By Paulo Loreto Lim

Following the announcement Iloilo City will be hosting another meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) from April 24 to 29, Iloilo City Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog credited the job the city did in hosting ASEAN meetings earlier this week during the 2017 ASEAN Summit.
“This is because of what we have done and how we were able to provide very dedicated and satisfying services to our visitors during the ASEAN meetings,” he explained.
Previously, Iloilo City played host to the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC) Council meeting, the Senior Officials Meeting for ASCC (SOCA) meeting, and the ASEAN-Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (ASEAN-OECD) Good Regulatory Practice Network meeting.
According to City Tourism Officer Junel Ann Divinagracia, the city will host the National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC).
“NAPC’s communication came as a surprise as we received it last March 16,” she said. “We are glad that they have chosen Iloilo City as host.”
Meanwhile, it was previously reported, Bacolod City Mayor Evelio Leonardia cited Cecilia Villanueva of the National Organizing Committee, saying his city was already being considered for a future ASEAN meeting.
Bacolod City hosted the Senior Officials Responsible for Information (SOMRI) meeting at the SMX Convention Center at SM City Bacolod earlier this month./WDJ