APEC Women and the Economy Forum (Bali, Indonesia)

September 6, 2016

APEC Women and the Economy Forum

Upon the invitation of my friend Chit Juan, I joined the Philippine delegation to the APEC Women and the Economy Forum in Bali. It was my first APEC event. I went to observe how APEC events are run, but more than that I was interested in a conference that focused on women’s contribution to the economy. I learned a lot, was inspired by the women around me, and made friends. It was also an affirmation that we are doing a lot of things well back home.

Gala Night

A gala dinner capped the day of the conference. We had fully intended to go back to our hotel and change to more formal attire, but were too tired to do so, so we just hung around the conference venue until dinner time. I must say that there is some pomp in the way food is served in Bali. The waiters paraded in, weaving in and out, carrying the food and placing them on the tables.

Entertainment was another thing. There was this wonderful chanteuse who sang famous songs in different languages, catering to the different nationalities in the audience. It took our very own spunky dynamo, Ambassador Delia Albert, upon our goading, to go up to the chanteuse and sing a Filipino duet. That broke the ice, and each time the chanteuse would sing a new song, the guests would come up to her and sing with her. Thing is, Mam Delia set the bar so high that the others were hard put to match her. The chanteuse ended her performance with a native song about batik, performed while willowy models showed off the beautiful fabrics on stage.

Of course, the food was great, but more so was the company, which I enjoyed fully.

Sababay Winery Tour

A most interesting tour was to the Sababay Winery. It is surprising to discover a winery in the heart of Bali, and more so to learn that the founder is a humanitarian businesswoman who has embraced as her mission the empowerment of grape farmers in Bali. And when I found out that the CEO is her first born Evy Gozali, I was touched deeply.

You see, Evy had studied in the United States, and had looked forward to working at Wall Street, but then 9/11 happened and it was difficult for foreigners to find jobs. And so she returned to Indonesia, and set up Sababay Winery with her mom. I asked how she felt working with her mother, and she said she hated the thought of giving up the American Dream at first, but later, when she saw how they were able to help the Balinese farmers have better lives, she became enthused. I told her about my first born, and she gave me a tight hug. I hope and pray that Bea feels the same about coming back home.

We tried our hands at crushing the grapes and toured the winery. We then had a wonderful lunch, and were entertained by the children of the farmers. And, I finally got to buy some batik.