In behalf of the Filipino people, I would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to all the leaders who attended the ASEAN and East Asian Summits.

We thank the leaders for the honor you have bestowed upon the Philippines and for working for a caring and sharing regional community. You have made the Filipino people proud as we have emerged triumphant with all Asians from the agreements reached and signed.

The peoples of Asia are the victors in these summits as we march forward in the collective spirit of hope within this century. Along with all the leaders, we dedicate these accords to a safer world, a realm of human security and greater and deeper friendships within Asia bridging to all global capitals.

It is very clear that the ASEAN and East Asian Summits also come with a strong social message.

As our people are now starting to enjoy payback time from our gains in the economy, we shall also reap the payback from the agreements inked through more investments, jobs, knowledge sharing, counter-terrorism activities and disaster preparations.

President Arroyo is bent on dovetailing the domestic agenda with the regional agenda, with special focus on our minimum wage earners, micro entrepreneurs and the uplift of all those affected by disasters and calamities.

CEBU, Philippines–With the high cost of energy continuing to cast a shadow over the economies of the region, leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) agreed on Sunday to strengthen regional cooperation on energy security to ensure a stable and affordable supply over the long term.

In her report as chairperson of the 12th ASEAN Summit after the conclusion of their meetings Saturday, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo said the ASEAN leaders expressed serious concern over the negative impact of high oil prices on the economic growth and development not only on their respective country but on the region.

To address this problem, President Arroyo said the ASEAN agreed as a strategic approach, to strengthen and promote ASEAN energy cooperation, especially in key ASEAN infrastructure projects, including the ASEAN power grid and Trans-ASEAN Gas Pipeline.

The ultimate goal of the ASEAN leaders is to create an open energy market, the President said.

The Cebu Declaration on Energy Security was signed Sunday afternoon by the 16 leaders of ASEAN and its dialogue partners who attended the 2^nd East Asia Summit at the Main Briefing Room of the Cebu International Convention Center in Mandaue City.

The President said that they also stressed the need to improve energy use efficiency and the diversification of energy supply by developing alternative sources such as biofuels and civilian nuclear power.

The leaders also agreed to pay close attention to the security, environmental, health and safety dimensions of the energy sector and tasked their respective officials concerned to look into regional nuclear safety regime, she said.

The East Asia Summit brought together the 10 member countries of ASEAN and their six dialogue partners — Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand and Republic of Korea.

CEBU, Philippines – President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo said on Sunday that with the unequivocal commitment of the leaders of Northeast Asia and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), prospects are bright that the vision of "One Caring and Sharing Community," the theme of the 12^th ASEAN Summit, would become a reality.

The President made the statement during the opening on Sunday of the ASEAN Plus Three Summit, which brought together the 10 leaders of ASEAN and its three dialogue partners – China, Japan and the Republic of Korea – at the Sugbu Summit Hall at the Summit Complex in Lapu-Lapu City.

She noted that in their retreat-style summit on Saturday, "it was pointed out that together Southeast Asia and Northeast Asia geographically comprise East Asia. The security of Southeast Asia and Northeast Asia are indeed intertwined."

She said this year’s ASEAN summits were expected to break new grounds towards greater solidarity, cohesiveness and cooperation in the whole East Asia.

Mrs. Arroyo, chairperson of the 12^th ASEAN Summit, also congratulated ASEAN’s three dialogue partners for convening their own summit in Cebu.

"This is a positive development for the entire regional process," she said.

ASEAN stands to benefit whenever it holds dialogues with its Plus Three Partners, she added.

Following is the full text of the President’s statement:

Your Excellencies, Premier Wen Jiabao, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, President Roh Moo-hyun, my fellow leaders in the ASEAN family, I call this meeting to order to discuss and review the future directions of  ASEAN Plus Three Cooperation and exchange views on regional and international issues.

First of all, we would like to congratulate our three Dialogue Partners from Northeast Asia for convening the China-Japan and ROK Summit here in Cebu. This is a positive development for the entire regional process.

ASEAN stands to benefit whenever our Plus Three Partners hold dialogues among themselves. It was in the sidelines of the ASEAN Summit in Manila in November 1999 that our three Northeast Asian partners had their first informal dialogue. It was also in the Manila Summit when the joint statement on East Asia cooperation was adopted.

During our own retreat among the ASEAN leaders yesterday, it was pointed out that together Southeast Asia and Northeast Asia geographically comprise East Asia. The security of Southeast Asia and Northeast Asia are indeed intertwined.

This year’s summits are set to break new ground towards greater solidarity, cohesiveness and cooperation in the whole East Asia. The unequivocal commitment of the regional leaders to peace, stability and economic prosperity for their peoples will continue to mark One Caring and Sharing Regional Community, sailing through challenging seas. The prospects are bright. The visions have become even grander with every meeting and discussion among the movers and shakers of ASEAN and East Asia.

All leaders are at the proper time and place to make key decisions that will make a difference to the future course of the region and the world. This is the century of ASEAN and East Asia as the center of gravity of global and trade and investments.

CEBU, Philippines – First Gentleman Jose Miguel T. Arroyo on Monday commended and thanked the organizers of the 12^th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit, particularly the Committee on Spouses Program, for the success of the two-day activities for the leaders’ spouses which officially ended here Sunday.

The First Gentleman likewise congratulated and thanked the performers and participants of the various activities under the spouses program. The performers were all local talents of Cebu province.

Describing all the shows and activities of the committee as impressive, Mr. Arroyo attributed the success of the project to the excellent job done by the group and the full support of the Cebuanos.

"The committee worked hard. They left no stone unturned. Their hard work paid off," the First Gentleman said. "I am so happy and proud of the spouses organizing committee."

The Cebu sub-committee on Spouses Program is chaired by Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Ambassador Francisco Benedicto and co-chaired by Margot Osmena, wife of Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmena. The other committee members are Linda Ouano, wife of Mandaue City Mayor Thadeo Ouano; Paz Radaza, wife of Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Arturo Radaza and Tina Sitoy, wife of Cordova Municipal Mayor Arleigh Sitoy.

Mrs. Rosie Lovely Romulo, wife of Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo, is the national sub-committee on spouses program chairman.

Mr. Arroyo said the ASEAN leaders’ spouses were deeply impressed and overjoyed by the various performances and other activities undertaken by the committee.

The performances of the homegrown talents were "so excellent and superb," he added.

The First Gentleman also said the ASEAN spouses spoke very highly of the hospitality of the Filipinos, in general, and the Cebuanos, in particular.

CEBU, Philippines – President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and other leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) called on North Korea on Sunday to abandon its nuclear weapons program for the sake of regional peace, security and stability.

The ASEAN heads of state expressed this sentiment during the 10th Summit between ASEAN and the Republic of Korea Sunday morning at the Shangri-La's Mactan Island Resort and Spa.

"We have all and we will continue to express our great concern about recent developments in the Korean Peninsula," the President said in her opening statement.

She added that ASEAN, as one voice, would urge North Korea to respond to other security and humanitarian concerns of the international community.

South Korea is an ASEAN dialogue partner, along with China, Japan, Australia, India and New Zealand.

Although North Korea went ahead with its nuclear test, it does not mean that North Korea possesses nuclear weapons.  

Pyongyang's nuclear capabilities should be no reason for any nuclear race in the region, South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun said. 

The ASEAN leaders, through President Arroyo, also called on North Korea to work for the resumption of the Sixty-Party Talks to resolve the nuclear issue.

Following Pyongyang's first nuclear test last year, the United Nations (UN) passed Resolution 1695 demanding that North Korea suspend its missile testing activity and return immediately to the suspended Six-Party Talks without precondition.

The ASEAN leaders also expressed support to the UN resolution on non-nuclear proliferation in the region.

The President said that the North Korean nuclear issue should be discussed further during the ASEAN Plus 3 Summit among ASEAN, South Korea, China and Japan later in the afternoon.

Following is the full text of the President's opening statement:

Your Excellency, President Roh Moo Hyun, my fellow leaders in the ASEAN family.  This meeting is called to order on your view and future directions of ASEAN-Korea Cooperation and an exchange of views on regional and international issues.

This is our first formal gathering since former Foreign Minister of Korea, Ban Ki Moon assumed the top United Nations post to the pride of all of East Asia.  We congratulate President Roh and the people of Korea.

In this Summit, we in ASEAN also got the chance to express our solidarity with the Republic of Korea and the Korean people in their efforts to exhaust all peaceful means to keep the Korean Peninsula nuclear-free and our region safe and secure.

Amidst the concern about nuclear proliferation, we in ASEAN have stood firm in our commitment to urge North Korea to abandon nuclear weapons.   We have all, and we continue to express our great concern about recent developments in the Korean Peninsula.

I hope that we're all speaking with one voice in urging North Korea once again to abandon all nuclear weapons and existing nuclear programs and to work towards the expeditious implementation of UN Security Council Resolution Nos. 1695 and 1718.  I hope also that we are in one voice in urging North Korea to take concrete and effective steps towards the full implementation of the Joint Statement of September 19th of 2005.

And again, I hope that we can all be in one voice in urging North Korea to respond to other security and humanitarian concerns of the international community including abductions' abuse.

CEBU, Philippines – Leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and their dialogue partners will fly home today at the end of the highly successful 12^th ASEAN Summit here, with high hopes that their shared vision of a more secure,  peaceful and vibrant regional community will be achieved sooner than later.

Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Australian Prime Minister John Howard are scheduled to leave Cebu this afternoon after the signing of the Cebu Declaration on Energy Security.

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao will depart for Manila to begin his two-day official visit to the Philippines after the official farewell of the East Asia Summit heads of states and governments with President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

After her press conference at the media briefing room of the Cebu International Convention Center, President Macapagal-Arroyo will fly back to Manila, where she is scheduled to officially welcome in Malacaņang the visiting Chinese prime minister.

Thailand Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong will also leave later in the day.

Malaysian Prime Minister Dato Seri Abdullah Bin Haji Ahmad Badawi will hold a press conference at the Shangri-La's Mactan Island Resort and Spa in Lapu-Lapu City before his departure at 5:30 p.m.

Brunei Darussalam Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah, Vietnam Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung and New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark, on the other hand, are set to leave Cebu early this evening. Some of the other leaders had left earlier.

CEBU, Philippines – Sixteen world leaders meeting here for the 2^nd East Asian Summit signed today an agreement on a concerted region-wide effort to harness alternative sources of energy to ensure continuous energy supply for their growing economies in the face of dwindling world oil reserves.

The leaders of the 10 member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations – Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam -- and ASEAN dialogue partners Australia, China, India, Japan, Republic of Korea and New Zealand, signed the pact at the conclusion of the 2^nd East Asia Summit (EAS) at the Cebu International Convention Center (CICC).

The East Asian leaders said the development of alternative sources of energy is needed to sustain the momentum of the region’s economic expansion.

Reliable, adequate and affordable energy supplies are essential for strong and sustainable economic growth and competitiveness, they added.

"Fossil fuels underpin our economies, and will be an enduring reality in our lifetimes," the East Asian leaders stressed in the Cebu Declaration on East Asian Energy Security.

They cited the need to strengthen programs to develop renewable energy sources such as biofuels and hydropower sources since "these resources are important aspects of our national energy policies."

In the face of energy supply problems confronting mankind, the leaders pointed out that renewable energy and nuclear power have to be tapped to meet an increasing demand for energy, particularly in the region where economies are booming because of stronger demand for goods and services from their population and the rest of the world.

While noting the limited global reserve of fossil energy and the unstable world oil prices, they also recognized "the worsening problems of environment and health, and the urgent need to address global warming and climate change."

At the same time, the leaders stressed the importance of open trade, facilitation and cooperation in the sector and in related industries.

To achieve these goals, the 16 leaders agreed to work together closely to improve the efficiency and environmental performance in fossil fuel use, reduce dependence on conventional fuels through intensified energy efficiency and conservation programs, hydropower, expansion of renewable energy systems and biofuel production/utilization, and for interested parties, civilian nuclear power.

The agreement also called for an open and competitive market, both regional and international markets, to provide affordable energy for all.

To mitigate the effects of greenhouse gas emission, the leaders stressed the need for an effective policies and measures to check global climate change.

They urged private sector participation to invest in energy and infrastructure development.

The leaders have adopted concrete actions and mechanisms to ensure implementation of these ambitious projects, including intensified research for new and renewable energy resources and technologies and through investments in regional energy infrastructure such as the ASEAN Power Grid and the Trans-ASEAN Gas Pipeline.

The leaders of the 16 countries present in the EAS represent more than half of the world population. China and India alone have a combined population of almost three billion, while ASEAN has 467 million as of 2005.

The seven-page document was signed by Brunei Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah, Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Hun Sen, Laos Prime Minister Bouasone Bouphavanh, Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, Malaysian Prime Minister Dato’ Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, Myanmar Prime Minister Soe Win;

Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Thai Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont, Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, Australian Prime Minister John Howard, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun and New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark.

CEBU, Philippines – Finally, it all came together.

With the sun finally peering through the clouds and the reassuring presence of all country leaders lending prestige, Cebu’s coming out party that was the 12^th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit, and the accompanying 2nd East Asia Summit (EAS) have proven to be a huge success.

No less than President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo acknowledged this in her opening statement at the EAS Monday when she cited ASEAN’s role in bringing so many nations and leaders together to discuss peace, security and social justice and economic growth.

"The fact that leaders of 17 great nations are here is a testament to the desire of leaders and their people for greater collaboration among nations," she said.

Aside from the leaders of ASEAN and the dialogue partners, the Prime Minister of Timor Leste also came.

But the country’s hosting of the Summit did not start out all that well. The original Summit scheduled for Dec. 10-14, 2006 was postponed on account of Typhoon "Seniang."

Detractors of the government insisted that the weather had nothing to do with the postponement. Rather, they jeered that the Summit was called off at midstream when senior ASEAN officials had already started their meetings in Cebu, out of fear of terrorist attacks.

This claim was reinforced by the travel warnings issued by the Japanese, US, Canadian and Australian governments a day before the heads of states were to start arriving in Cebu.

Additionally, there were threats of massive anti-summit demonstrations in Cebu by leftist militants, including foreign nationals.

But in the end, the threats fizzled out, the nail-biting uncertainties over whether the Summit would push through this time; even the weather, a constant worry for the Summit organizers, cooperated.

The Cebu International Convention Center (CICC), the alternate venue of the gathering, had proven its worth. Once the center of controversy over its construction, the CICC finally came to full bloom Monday morning when leaders of the 10-member ASEAN and its six dialogue partners arrived one by one and journalists from all over the world converged to lend prestige to the occasion. 

Since last week, the only major meeting held at CICC was last Friday’s discussion between the 10 ASEAN heads of state and the Eminent Persons Group. For four straight days too, dark clouds had hovered over this province and intermittent rains threatened to spoil Summit proceedings.

On the final day of the gathering, however, the so-called Queen City of the South, could not be denied its glory in hosting this year’s Summit.

Leaders of the 17 nations, led off by Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, arrived at the CICC for the East Asian Summit, welcomed by tribal dancers in colorful attires and flag bearers in gala uniforms waving the flags of the participating nations.

Hun Sen was followed by Laos PM Bouasone Bouphavanh, Singapore PM Lee Hsien Loong, Myanmar PM Gen. Soe Win, Malaysian PM Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, Thailand PM Surayud Chulanont, Vietnam PM Nguyen Than Dung, Australian PM John Howard, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, Brunei Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu'izzaddin, Indian PM Dr. Manmohan Singh, Japan PM Shinzo Abe, Korean President Roh Moo-hyun, and New Zealand PM Helen Clark in that order.

CEBU, Philippines – Japan pledged on Sunday an additional $67 million contribution to the battle against avian influenza and other pandemic diseases that have hit some countries in the Southeast Asian region.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo announced Japan’s new contribution during the 10^th ASEAN + Three Summit among the heads of state of the ASEAN, China, Japan and the Republic of Korea at the Shangri-La’s Mactan Island Hotel Resort and Spa.

Last year, Japan contributed $150 million to the multi-nation campaign against avian flu, but the amount has already been spent.

ASEAN leaders also expressed appreciation for the contribution of their three dialogue partners in East Asia in disaster reduction and management and in combating the spread of infectious diseases in the Southeast Asian region.

The President said ASEAN leaders expressed deep appreciation for Japan’s assistance as it welcomed China’s proposal for the setting up of a regional monitoring network on infectious diseases.

Aside from the threat of bird flu pandemic, many ASEAN countries, including the Philippines, have been reeling from natural disasters such as earthquakes, tsunamis and typhoons.

The ASEAN leaders also noted with satisfaction that the regional stockpile of Tamiflu has been raised through the financial support from the Japan-ASEAN Integration Fund (JAIF).

The World Health Organization (WHO) has urged countries to stockpile medicines like Tamiflu that work against avian influenza or bird flu 1 (H5N1) in humans.

Health experts have been monitoring the H5N1 strain for almost eight years. The H5N1 strain first infected humans in Hong Kong in 1997, resulting in 18 cases, including six deaths.

Since mid-2003, this virus has caused the largest and most severe outbreaks in poultry on record. In December 2003, infections in people exposed to sick birds were identified.

CEBU, Philippines – Sixteen leaders of East Asia reaffirmed today their commitment to the eradication of poverty in the region as they concluded the 2^nd East Asia Summit (EAS) at the Cebu International Convention Center (CICC).

The East Asian leaders also agreed to increase cooperation in securing energy supply in the region as an important pillar of their common effort to further promote the region’s economic growth, one of the fastest in the world.

In her Chairperson’s Statement on the 2^nd EAS at its conclusion this afternoon, Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo stressed that improving the standard of living of East Asia’s peoples should be given priority in regional cooperation efforts.

"It’s payback time for a region whose legacy to its peoples is within reach," the President declared in a press conference right after the 2^nd EAS.

In her Chairperson’s Statement, Mrs. Arroyo reported that East Asian leaders agreed to further strengthen cooperation in regional integration, education and finance, and the mitigation of the effects of natural disasters and the spread of the avian influenza and other infectious diseases.

She said the East Asian leaders confirmed their commitment to achieve the targets and objectives of the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) in eradicating poverty.

Earlier, the leaders of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) unanimously endorsed House Speaker Jose de Venecia’s Debt-for-Equity proposal to help finance anti-poverty programs in some of the world’s 100 most heavily indebted countries.

President Arroyo said the East Asian leaders also signed the Cebu Declaration on East Asian Energy Security to mitigate the effects of high oil prices and find alternative sources of energy towards achieving energy independence.

They also urged members of the World Trade Organization (WTO) to re-start negotiations on the stalled Doha Round of talks as soon as possible to promote free trade and economic development.

On the issue of religion-based conflicts, President Arroyo said the leaders also agreed that the regular conduct of interfaith dialogues is also crucial in building up harmony, mutual trust, respect and cooperation among their peoples.

The leaders also reaffirmed their commitment to the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, the Six-Party Talks, and the full implementation of UN Resolutions 1695 and 1718 to maintain the peace and security in the region.

Earlier, the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Organization (AIPO) said the ASEAN should also urge North Korea to follow China and Vietnam’s more recent initiative in opening up their economies to the world.

De Venecia, who chaired the 27^th AIPO General Assembly, said these two socialist states have now achieved great progress in environments of peace and stability.

"We in AIPO also believe that, on the Six-Party Talks and the achievement of a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula, ASEAN and AIPO should pass this message to North Korea and its President Kim Jong-Il," De Venecia said.

He delivered a statement last Saturday before the ASEAN leaders in which he proposed 16 ways to advance the causes of ASEAN and Asia.

Fresh from hosting the just-concluded 12^th ASEAN Summit in Cebu, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo welcomed in Malacaņang this evening Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao, who is in Manila on a two-day official visit to discuss the possibility of further expanding bilateral relations between China and the Philippines.

Wen, who had just come from Cebu, where he attended the 12^th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit and related meetings, was met by President Arroyo on the Palace grounds at exactly 6:20 p.m.

China is a dialogue partner of the ASEAN along with Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand and India.

Looking resplendent in an old rose-colored evening dress, the President shook hands with Premier Wen and ushered him to the platform fronting a platoon of Presidential Security Group (PSG) honor guards before the welcome ceremony began.

The President was joined by some of her Cabinet members in welcoming Premier Wen. Among them were Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo, National Economic and Development Authority Director General Romulo Neri, Finance Secretary Margarito Teves, Trade and Industry Secretary Peter Favila, and Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap.

Also present were flag officers and staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and members of the diplomatic corps.

A 21-gun salute boomed in the background as the PSG Band played the national anthems of the two countries in succession.

The President then led Premier Wen in a pass-in-review of the PSG honor guards.

After the welcome ceremonies, the President and Premier Wen proceeded to the second floor of the Palace where the latter signed the Presidential Guestbook.

President Arroyo and Premier Wen later proceeded to the Music Room for the "Meeting of the Two Leaders," which was followed by an expanded bilateral meeting.