INFORMATION NOTE I. PROGRAM AND VENUE A. September 13, 2012 (Thursday) SOM-RIF STEERING COMMITTEE MEETING 1 (0830-1615) Nostalg Ballroom 5 th Floor, Oakwood Premier Joy~Nostalg Center Manila 17 ADB Avenue Ortigas Center Pasig, Metro Manila Tel. Nos.: +63-2 637 7888/ 910 8888 Lunch (1200-1330) Joy-Nostalg Lounge, 3 rd floor, Oakwood Welcome Dinner (1900-2100) Joy-Nostalg Lounge, 3 rd floor, Oakwood B. September 14, 2012 (Friday) THE 20 th GMS ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION 2 (GMS20) GMS20 at EDSA Shangri-La Hotel (1000-1230) GARDEN BALLROOM 2 nd Floor, EDSA Shangri-La Hotel 1 Garden Way, Ortigas Centre, Mandaluyong City, 1650, Metro Manila Tel. No.: (+63 2) 6338888 Lunch (1230-1400) Kamia and Santan, lobby level, Garden Wing, Shangri-La Gala Dinner (1830-2030) Garden Ballroom, 2 nd floor, Shangri-La 1 The SOM-RIF Steering Committee Meeting will be attended by the GMS National Coordinator and 2 other government officials from each of the 6 GMS countries, invited resource persons/presenters, and ADB staff/representatives of sector divisions. 2 The GMS20 will be attended by GMS Ministers, Senior Officials from the six participating countries, selected development partners, former GMS officials and ADB Staff closely involved in the early years of GMS Program, resource persons, and ADB senior management and staff.
GMS20 at ADB HEADQUARTERS (HQ) ASIAN DEVELOPMENT BANK 6 ADB Avenue Mandaluyong City Metro Manila Tel. No.: (+63 2) 632444 Opening of Photo Exhibit (1500-1515) ADB Main Lobby, ADB HQ Launching of GMS Publications (1515-1545) Knowledge Hub, ADB Library, Lobby level, ADB HQ Group Photo Session (1545-1600) ADB Courtyard, Lobby level, ADB HQ Cocktails, Socialization (1600-1730) Executive Dining Room, 2 nd Floor, ADB HQ Note: Country focal persons are kindly requested to inform the GMS Secretariat if delegation members have dietary restrictions. II. HOTEL ACCOMMODATION Block reservations have been made for ADB-sponsored participants at the Oakwood Premier Joy~Nostalg Center Manila. ADB will finance the cost of basic hotel accommodation with breakfast and complimentary internet access for up to 3 nights for those attending both events; and up to 2 nights for those attending the GMS 20th Anniversary Celebration only. Any incidental expenses (i.e. telephone calls, laundry, food and beverage, mini bar consumption, and other hotel services) will be charged to the participant s personal account which will be settled directly with the hotel upon check-out. Hotel charges incurred due to extension of stay will not be covered by ADB. Applicable charges will be settled through participant s own account upon check-out. Non-ADB sponsored participants may request booking assistance from the GMS Secretariat but the hotel bill should be settled individually on personal account. The GMS Secretariat will make accommodation arrangement at either the Oakwood or Shangri-La Hotel depending on room availability. The following special room rates apply: OAKWOOD PREMIER JOY~NOSTALG CENTER MANILA Type of Room Special Rate (in Php) Single/Double Type of Room Studio Executive Php 4,950 Superior Room (Tower Wing) One Bedroom Deluxe Php 5,250 Garden Deluxe (Garden Wing) EDSA SHANGRI-LA HOTEL Special Rate (in Php) Single/Double Php 5,000 Php 6,800 Note: Rates are inclusive of tax and service charge, breakfast, and complimentary internet access in the rooms. The exchange rate is around Php 41-42 per USD. 2
The rates above can be obtained only through the GMS Secretariat and not directly with the hotel. Deadline for delegates who would like to request assistance in hotel booking is 29 August 2012. Please email your accomplished pre-registration form, including your passport details, to Ms. Malou Magaoay (mmagaoay.consultant@adb.org). The hotel check-in is at 14:00 hours and check-out is at 12:00 hours. Participants are requested to proceed to the reception counters at the hotel lobby. Express checkin will be facilitated for those who have submitted their passport details in advance. Early check-in and late check-out may be allowed subject to availability of the rooms. Both hotels accept major credit cards or cash payment. Deposit will be required from self-financing guests. III. INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL ARRANGEMENTS ADB Resident Missions in Cambodia, the People s Republic of China, the Lao People s Democratic Republic, Thailand, and Viet Nam will arrange the air tickets of the ADBsponsored participants, including resource persons, from the respective countries based on the most direct route from and to the delegates city of origin. The travel booking for Myanmar delegates will be done from the ADB office in Manila. Flight details and ticket pick-up arrangements will be communicated to participants. ADB-sponsored participants and resource persons who purchased their own tickets will be reimbursed upon presentation of the air ticket, original boarding passes, and original official receipt issued by the travel agency (or a copy of their credit card billing statement). Please note that ADB will reimburse the ticket cost using the most direct route only. Should there be any deviation from the standard provisions, please communicate with the GMS Secretariat prior to purchasing tickets. IV. AIRPORT FACILITATION Each GMS country delegation is requested to designate a coordinator who will work with the ADB staff on airport facilitation matters. ADB will send staff to welcome and assist the meeting participants at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila. VIP arrival/departure courtesies (provision of VIP lounge, baggage retrieval assistance, and customs and immigration facilitation) will be provided to the GMS Ministers/Heads of Delegations. An ADB desk located near the exit of the arrival gate will be ready to provide additional assistance to arriving delegates. 3
V. TRANSPORT ARRANGEMENTS A. AIRPORT TRANSFERS Two-way airport transfer will be arranged for the GMS Minister/Head of Delegation (HOD) based on the Minister s/hod s flight itinerary. A mini-van will also be provided for the rest of the delegation accompanying the HOD. An ADB representative will be available at the arrival terminal to assist the delegates on the transportation arrangements at the airport. Other country delegates with a different flight schedule are requested to make their own transfer arrangement. Accredited airport metered cabs (different from regular cabs) are available outside the arrival exit. One-way transfer ranges from PHP 600-700 (approximately USD 15-17). Alternatively, car rental services, e.g. Avis and Nissan, are also available at counters across the metered cab stand but charge slightly higher prices. Participants may request staff from the ADB desk to escort them to these counters. Cab drivers accept only local currency, therefore, participants are advised to change money at the airport. Travel time from airport to the designated hotels is around 30-45 minutes depending on the traffic flow. For proper coordination, participants are requested to promptly notify the GMS Secretariat of any changes in their flight itineraries. B. TRANSPORTATION FOR OFFICIAL MEETINGS AND SOCIAL FUNCTIONS Transportation for delegates staying at Oakwood will be arranged by the GMS Secretariat for their participation to the events on September 14. Participants are requested to be at the hotel lobby by 0930 hours to avail of the shuttle service going to Shangri-La Hotel. After lunch at the Shangri-La Hotel, delegates will be transported to the ADB Headquarters for the other activities in the GMS20 celebration program (i.e., photo exhibit, book launching, and cocktail reception). After the events, participants staying at Oakwood may wish to go back to the hotel (which is right across ADB main entrance) on foot to get ready for dinner. Transportation from ADB HQ for participants staying at the Shangri-La will be arranged at 1730 hours, after the cocktails. Delegates staying at Oakwood Hotel who will be attending the Gala Dinner are requested to be at the lobby by 1815 hours to avail of the shuttle service going to Shangri-La Hotel. After dinner, participants from Oakwood are requested to proceed to the Shangri-La lobby for the transport arrangement going back to the hotel. Any additional transportation requirement not specified above should be on ownarrangement basis. The distance between Oakwood and Shangri-La is approximately 2 kilometers. 4
VI. ALLOWANCES AND REIMBURSEMENT OF TRAVEL CLAIMS The ADB-sponsored participants will be given daily subsistence allowance and a fixed allowance for miscellaneous travel expense to cover visa processing fees, airport taxes (including terminal fee of five hundred fifty pesos, Php 550), airport transfers, ticket reconfirmation fee, and lay-over expenses. Based on prior agreement with the GMS Secretariat, participants who purchased their own tickets will also be reimbursed accordingly. To claim these allowances and reimbursement, the ADB-sponsored participants are kindly requested to submit the following documents: Photocopy of air tickets; Photocopy of passport details; Original boarding passes; and Original official receipt for purchase of air ticket (if purchased directly by the participants). Please submit your travel documents to Ms. Malou Magaoay, during the registration so that the GMS Secretariat can process the claims. All payments and reimbursements may be claimed from Ms. Josephine Duque-Comia at the Rosal Room (GMS Secretariat Room in Shangri-La) on September 14. Should you have any questions regarding alternative or special travel arrangements, kindly clarify eligibility from the GMS Secretariat prior to finalizing arrangements. VII. MEETING PROCEDURES A. REGISTRATION Registration for the SOM-RIF Steering Committee Meeting on September 13 will start at 0830 hours at the foyer outside the Nostalg Ballroom of Oakwood. Participants will be provided with a meeting ID and meeting documents. Registration for the GMS20 celebration on September 14 will start at 1000 hours at the foyer outside the Garden Ballroom of Shangri-La Hotel. Only photo IDs issued by the GMS Secretariat will be recognized for purposes of registration and entry into the meeting venues. Participants are requested to wear their IDs at all times throughout the meeting. B. MEETING-RELATED SERVICES The following services are available to the meeting participants: Secretariat Room 13 Sept: Meeting Room 1, Business Center, 5 th floor, Oakwood 14 Sept: Rosal, Lobby level, Garden Wing, Shangri-La Ministers Holding Room 14 Sept: Sampaguita, Lobby level, Garden Wing, Shangri-La 14 Sept: Virtual Communications Room (Room 1512), Lobby level, ADB HQ First aid/medical assistance will be made available upon request. 5
C. MEETING DOCUMENTS Advanced copies of the reference and background documents are available online: (http://www.adb.org/news/events/gms-twenty-years-partnership-celebration). Additional set of meeting materials will be given upon registration at the meeting venue. D. ACCESS TO ADB HQ Access of participants to ADB building is regulated by ADB s in-house visitor s registration system. All registered participants will be required to present valid photo identification (passport, driver s license, etc.) in order to receive their ADB-issued building access ID which can be obtained from either the visitor reception center (VRC) at the ADB Avenue or the main lobby VRC. ADB issued ID must be worn at all times while inside ADB premises. VIII. COMMUNICATIONS-RELATED Media will be invited by the ADB Department of External Relations. Press kit for media will be distributed at the registration table. Pre-set interviews may be arranged on request. Please be informed that the medium of communication is English and that no translation services will be provided. IX. MEETING COORDINATORS DR. PRADEEP SRIVASTAVA Senior Regional Cooperation Specialist Regional Cooperation and Operations Coordination Division Southeast Asia Department Asian Development Bank Tel. No.: +63 2 632 6760 Fax No.: +63 2 636 2226 Email: psrivastav@adb.org MR. SHUNSUKE BANDO Senior Regional Cooperation Specialist Regional Cooperation and Operations Coordination Division Southeast Asia Department Asian Development Bank Tel. No.: +63 2 632 6709 Fax No.: +63 2 636 2226 Email: sbando@adb.org For inquiries/clarifications on logistical arrangements, please contact: MS. MALOU MAGAOAY GMS Secretariat Asian Development Bank Tel. No.: +63 2 632 5195 Mobile No.: +63 916 792 5639 Email: mmagaoay.consultant@adb.org mlsserrano1976@yahoo.com 6
X. LOCATION MAP Oakwood Hotel EDSA Shangri-La 7
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