MANDAUE CITY, Cebu – The 12th Summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), scheduled to open on Sunday, has been postponed to January because of a strong storm that is expected to hit Cebu, ASEAN National Organizing Committee Chairman Amb. Marciano Paynor Jr. confirmed yesterday.
In an emergency press conference at the Cebu International Convention Center (CICC) yesterday, Paynor, together with Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia, the chairperson of the Cebu Organizing Committee, announced the development as tropical depression Seniang was eyed about 1,000 kilometers east of Leyte island and was forecast to make landfall Saturday, before moving toward Cebu on Sunday.
“The summit is postponed to January due to typhoon Seniang… and it is nothing that we can do about so we just have to accept it,” said the saddened Paynor, infront of the international media who were clearly dismayed over the meeting’s postponement.
Even if Typhoon Seniang will change path in the next few hours, Paynor said the postponement will push through because the typhoon could hit other ASEAN member countries. Although the dates have been changed to first week of January, Paynor clarified that the summit will still be held in Cebu.
