Melania expected in Manila for youth event
American First Lady Melania Trump may make her first trip to Manila around the time that US President Donald Trump is expected to attend the 49th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) Summit in November.
She will be joining First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos and other first spouses for a meeting of Fostering the Future Together, a global coalition which she launched that seeks to expand children’s access to technology and education.
“I thank Ms Marcos from the Philippines, who has committed to hosting a Fostering the Future Together event at the upcoming Asean conference in Manila,” the US first lady said on Tuesday (Wednesday in the Philippines) during a gathering of members of the coalition on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York.
The Asean event is among the four international gatherings Trump announced for the coalition in the last quarter of the year.
The others are a G20 event she will host in Miami, Florida in December; a European regional meeting to be hosted by Poland’s First Lady Marta Nawrockal; and a Caribbean regional meeting to be hosted by Saint Kitts and Nevis First Lady Diani Prince-Drew.
Araneta-Marcos joined Trump and other first spouses at the New York gathering as the coalition expanded to 57 participating countries, according to the White House.
The initiative focuses on empowering children through technology and education.
‘Creepy websites’
The White House said the coalition also secured new private-sector partnerships with the world’s largest technology firms, such as Adobe, Amazon, Intel, Starlink, Google and Zoom.
Tim Cook, executive chair of Apple, and Enrique Lores, CEO of PayPal, also attended the event.
“When nations speak with one voice, the world listens. Our collective influence is profound. Together, we can open doors, move markets, shape policy. And most importantly, we can change lives for the better,” Trump said.
According to Trump, the initiative aims to prepare children to navigate technological advances, including artificial intelligence, while ensuring they have the knowledge and tools to use technology responsibly.
“Access alone is not empowerment. We must give our children the tools—and teach them how to use those tools wisely,” she said.
Araneta-Marcos said the initiative would help in the government’s goal of building a safer future for children, noting that “our young Filipino youth have fallen victims to all these creepy websites.”
3 nonworking days
The 49th Asean Summit and Related Summits will be held in Metro Manila from Nov. 16 to 18, with the Philippines serving as the chair of the bloc.
President Marcos declared the three days of the summit special nonworking days “to alleviate traffic congestion and allow the host country to ensure the safety and security of participants in the event.”
Melania did not join the spouses of other world leaders who gathered in Manila for the 31st Asean Summit’s activities in 2017. President Donald Trump attended the summit alone.
