Duterte urges APT for inclusive recovery

President Rodrigo Duterte urged the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Plus Three (APT) member-states to ensure inclusive recovery and response efforts amid the COVID-19 pandemic, emphasizing the need to achieve this "the soonest possible time."

He highlighted the APT as an effective platform for collaborative actions, stressing the importance of concerted efforts to address the pandemic and future public health emergencies.

Duterte emphasized that economic growth alone is insufficient, calling for a collective approach to move forward together and fulfill the promise of an Asian Century.

The President acknowledged the ongoing grip of COVID-19 in the region, compounded by the emergence of new variants that threaten past gains.

He welcomed the development of a new APT Work Plan designed to reflect lessons learned from the pandemic, build on past gains, and identify new areas of cooperation.

Duterte also expressed appreciation to China, Japan, and the Republic of Korea for promoting financial stability in the region through the ASEAN COVID-19 response fund and the Chiang Mai Initiative Multilateralization agreement.

He urged his counterparts to capitalize on their geographic advantage in improving connectivity within the region.

The President stressed the establishment of the APT Reserve of Medical Supplies as a strategic move to ensure the region is better prepared for future outbreaks.