Drilon to speak at international forum

Senator Franklin M. Drilon will be among the international speakers who will deliver lectures at the 2012 Asia Conference on August 24 to 28, 2012 in National Chengchi University in Taipei, Taiwan.

The international conference was organized by the Harvard Program on Asia and International Relations (HPAIR). Around 500 delegates from different countries in Asia are expected to attend the forum.

Drilon is set to speak on topic "Reappraising the Asian Values Debate in the 21st Century World", where he will discuss the universality of human rights and democracy in the Philippines.

"I am honored to have been invited by this Harvard-based group to update the other countries about our Philippine democratic system," said Drilon.

"We have a very colorful story to tell about our being a democratic country which other countries can draw insights and lessons from," he added.

According to the HPAIR, this year's forum will be the first time to feature and discuss critical issues based on the Filipino perspective.

HPAIR has held 26 conferences in both Asia and the United States in a bid to bring together students from the world's foremost universities and leaders in the fields of government, business, culture, and academia, to engage in thoughtful conversations regarding critical issues affecting Asia and the world.

Past speakers included Secretary General of the United Nations Ban Ki-moon, Singapore President S.R. Nathan, and Cambodia Prime Minister Prince Narodom Ranariddh.