INTRODUCTION
This is the first time in the history of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) that a head of state and an APEC chairman is addressing an international conference of leaders from civil society in the Asia-Pacific region.

APEC is often projected by others to be friendly only to governments and business. I would hope that my presence among you here today will prove otherwise.

When we, the heads of state, formalized the creation of APEC in 1993, we had the vision of a sustainable Asia-Pacific community foremost in our minds.

True, we had agreed upon an action agenda composed of three pillars: trade and investment liberalization; trade and investment facilitation; and economic and technical cooperation. But these three pillars are only means to the greater ends of sustainable growth, equitable development, reducing income disparities, economic and social well-being, cultural understanding and environmental protection — all of which, in turn, contribute to sustainable development of each member-economy — within a stable Asia-Pacific community.
We enunciated this hierarchy of interrelated goals at Blake Island, Bogor and Osaka.
LIBERALIZATION NOT ENOUGH
In December 1995, while contemplating my responsibility as chairman of APEC 1996, I thought intensely of the question: “what is required to sustain APEC in the long run?”

To me, it was obvious that APEC is more than just TILF or Eco-tech. As I stated last August 28 before senior APEC officials at the International Conference on “Deepening Asia-Pacific Cooperation” organized by the Carlos P. Romulo Foundation for Peace and Development (CPRFPD), it is clear that liberalizing and facilitating trade and investment alone cannot suffice, however important this might be.

The geographic, demographic, cultural, political and economic diversity of the APEC region is too great and too dynamic to be automatically shaped by the formative forces of economic integration that comes with liberalization.

In addition, there is also the empirical reality that economic growth resulting from unguided and immediate liberalization could also cause social disturbance, not to mention environmental damage.

Economic growth, hence liberalization, is a means, not an end. If liberalization and economic growth are not guided by a vision of human development, then economic growth could unleash undesirable downside effects, as I already cautioned in my speech inaugurating our Philippine Agenda of Development for the 21st century, the “PA 21”.

Economic growth, if we are not careful, can also cause the phenomenon of “jobless” growth, the growing disparity between the rich and the poor, suppression of democratic space, decline of culture, and the unleashing of environmental catastrophes.

I, therefore, challenged the APEC senior officials to take these possibilities into account, and — even now — to seek measures by which they might be anticipated and avoided.
INITIATIVES ADDRESSING CIVIL SOCIETY CONCERNS
For our part, I have introduced several initiatives in APEC that I intend to pursue as APEC chairman.

Last July, I challenged the APEC ministers responsible for the environment and sustainable development to establish a harmonious relationship between economic growth and sustainable development including, but not limited to, the environment.

The following month, I presented a new model of development cooperation before senior officials of APEC. As APEC chairman, I asked them to go beyond the traditional model of development cooperation where governments are the key actors and where the transfer of resources move from the rich to the poor.

I suggested a development cooperation model which recognizes APEC member-economies as equals and which emphasizes mutual respect and partnerships based on consensus instead of legalistic and formalistic contractual agreements.

And, in a speech before APEC senior women leaders last October 4, I promised to advance women’s concerns in APEC. I told them that “beyond economic development and prosperity, we in APEC have also focused on human development and social equity….” furthermore, I told them that sustainable development is the bottom line in APEC, not profits.
PHILIPPINE INITIATIVES IN SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
Given all these initiatives I launched as 1996 APEC chairman, I am proud to say that the Philippines has been a leading advocate for sustainable development in the Asia-Pacific. And it is not only my personal agenda that coincides with yours, but that of our country and people as a whole.

Immediately after the Rio Earth Summit of June 1992 and my assumption as president, the Philippines was among the first countries in the world and the first in our region to set up its Council for Sustainable Development. The PCSD was, in fact, the first inter agency/multi-sectoral body that I established to take care of this strategic concern.

The framework and principles of sustainable development form the heart of PA21. The model of sustainable development contained in this policy document, arrived at after one of the most comprehensive consultation processes in the history of our nation, will be of interest to all of you.

In PA21 the vital role of civil society is recognized, highlighted and supported. In PA21, a tripartite and principled partnership between the state, civil society and business is encouraged and emphasized. For truly, it will take the collective genius of all the key actors of society to bring about sustainable development not only in the Philippines but also in Asia and the pacific.

But we did not stop there. Because of our strong commitment to sustainable development, we made certain that the Philippine Individual Action Plan (IAP), a very important APEC document and input, subscribed to the framework and principles of sustainable development as enunciated in PA21.
PHILIPPINE IAP GOVERNED BY SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
In short, the principle of sustainable development governs the Philippine IAP. If certain parts of the Philippine IAP are found not to lead to sustainable development, then the IAP will be revised accordingly.

I would like to emphasize that the Philippine IAP improvements were achieved because of the constructive suggestions given by progressive civil society leaders representing some 5,000 organizations in the Philippines, including the non-government and peoples’ organizations (NGOs and POs). Many of them are here today as part of the Asia-pacific sustainable development initiative, and I would like to acknowledge and thank them for their contributions.

This concern extends to our participation in APEC.

The Philippines is, in effect, reintroducing and giving new prominence to the subject and the vision of sustainable development. It was already there in our declarations at Blake Island, Bogor and Osaka. Now we want to bring that vision home, state it anew, and raise it to a higher level of urgency.

We will emphasize that liberalization and cooperation are means to attain sustainable development and a stable and progressive Asia-Pacific community.
ADVOCATING SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN APEC
The Philippines is also sending a message to APEC partner-economies that recognizes the dynamism and importance of civil society in the attainment of economic, social and ecological well-being. The Philippines is saying that, given the proper context, civil society should play a constructive role in confronting the challenges of liberalization and development cooperation, and in ensuring that both lead to sustainable development.

We are taking seriously the leadership role expected of an APEC chairman by demonstrating our resolve to ensure that a deep and broad-based action program of sustainable development is adopted by APEC through offering a national IAP governed by sustainable development.
MY ASSURANCES
By way of concluding, I would like all of you to take the following to heart. You have before you a chairman in APEC, who is sympathetic and supportive to your concerns and issues. As an extension of what we have been doing in the Philippines, I would therefore like to assure you of three things:

First, I will encourage my colleagues, the leaders of APEC, to highlight and emphasize the multifaceted framework of sustainable development already found in various places in our policies and statements, one that goes beyond simple environmental concerns and moves into the areas of economic, political, cultural, social and human development.

Second, I will bring to the attention of APEC leaders the important contributions from civil society in crafting our vision of a sustainable Asia-pacific community. Based on my interaction with them over the past three summits, I believe the APEC leaders are open to such views. The core values of civil society are critical if APEC is to attain its goals connected with sustainable growth, equitable development, social well-being, environmental protection, and a mutually beneficial form of development cooperation.

Finally, I look forward to receiving, in behalf of my colleagues, your constructive comments and recommendations regarding the direction, substance and strategic goals of APEC. I am sure the APEC leaders will consider your inputs in the spirit of democratic dialogue and broadly based participation — all leading to a higher quality of life for all of Asia-Pacific’s people.

I will, therefore, await the results of your discussions and recommendations. You have my assurances that I will make your voices heard at the summit of APEC leaders. It is certainly in the realm of the possible that we, the leaders of APEC, in the near future can consider the institutionalization of civil society participation that will allow communication with APEC leaders in a manner similar to the way our business sectors interact with them through the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC).

Indeed, there is need for all of us to deepen and to broaden the sense of a truly Asia-Pacific community, within which we all can share and strengthen our collective vision of the good society.

In the long run, and despite all the doomsaying we may have heard, APEC is what we will make of it. You and I are resolved that it will be a civil and humane enterprise. So let us do all we can to realize that vision!!

Thank you and “mabuhay!”