Asean has done us good

By: Cielito F. Habito - @inquirerdotnet

Philippine Daily Inquirer / 07:23 AM November 06, 2017

When Asean was born in 1967, Philippine exports to its Southeast Asian neighbors amounted to a mere $62 million. With
corresponding imports at $235 million, our total trade with Asean amounted to $297 million then. Twenty-five years later (in
1992), our Asean exports had jumped ninefold to $556 million, and total trade with the region multiplied more than sixfold to $1.9
billion.

In that year, the Asean Free Trade Agreement (Afta) was signed, paving the way for even faster growth in trade across the region.
As of last year, nearly another 25 years hence, our trade with Asean had grown further by 16 times, growing yearly at an average of
60 percent. This far outpaced growth in our overall trade, which had expanded less than sixfold, or an average annual growth of 20
percent.

The Philippines is a founding member of Asean, and membership has clearly done us good. Asean as a bloc is now the countrys
largest trading partner, accounting for 22 percent of our total trade, dislodging Japan and the United States, which now account for
less than 15 percent each.

Our manufacturing exports to Asean have surged since the early 2000s as almost all import tariffs fell to zero in 2010 for the six
leading members.Our exports to China also zoomed after the Asean-China Free Trade Agreement took effect in 2010yet another
boon from our Asean membership.

Propelled by surging exports to Asean, China and the rest of the world, the manufacturing sector has seen resurgence in the last 7
years, growing at 7-8 percent annually and outpacing the overall economy.

Closer cooperation
The Philippines has come a long way over the five decades since Asean started, and in the 25 years since the launch of the Afta.

With Afta further pushed forward into the Asean Economic Community, the aim had always been to foster closer cooperation and
regional economic integration through liberalized trade and investment among member-economies.

Back in 1992, skeptics doubted the usefulness of pursuing Afta at all. They reasoned that the six member-economies thenBrunei,
Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailandproduced largely similar products, leaving little scope for wider
trade among themselves. Rather than complement one another through trade, the members would more likely compete with each
other, they thought.

They were to be proved wrong, as the numbers already cited show. The steep rise in trade within Asean has been the result of its
deliberate moves to establish international and regional production networks through cross-border investment schemes. These
included the Asean Industrial Joint Venture and Brand-to-Brand Complementation schemes, along with other programs established
purposely to create value chains that span national borders within the region.

With Asean, the largest share of our trade is in intermediate goodsa reflection of our strong integration into the regional
production networks and value chains, where products are completed across national borders.
The principle underlying this approach is simple enough. Rather than have each member set up its own complete manufacturing
industry for a complex product like appliances or transport equipment, each would do better by specializing in particular
components, thereby being able to serve a much larger market beyond its own.

In so doing, everyone benefits from lower unit costs made possible by larger volumes of production, in what is known as
economies of scale.

Cars or appliances cost much less if produced under such regional or international production networks, instead of each country
insisting on having its own complete car or appliance industry covering the entire value chain.

Oishi, Jollibee, etc.

Proactive firms in countries around the region have pursued such strategic cross-border investments and partnerships, establishing
regional and global value chains made easier by freer trade.

The benefits go beyond manufacturing, and they have been reaped by agribusiness firms as well. Companies like Thailands
Charoen Pokphand (CP) and Betagro, Malaysias Leong Hup and QL Resources, and the Philippines Oishi (Liwayway) and
Jollibee have tapped tremendous cross-border opportunities in the region and beyond.

CP has invested in poultry (broilers and layers) in Malaysia, Myanmar and Indonesia as Leong Hup and QL do in Indonesia,
Vietnam and the Philippines; Betagro has invested in pork in Cambodia and Laos. In doing so, they help supply the growing local
markets of the host countries, with little or no trade impact from competing finished products.

They supply inputs like day-old chicks, feed components, vaccines and others from their home companies or subsidiaries
elsewhere, exemplifying the same cross-border value chains seen more prominently in nonfarm-manufactured goods.

Even in rice, regional integration of value chains has begun with significant cross-border investments in mills and processing
plants, thereby fast transforming upstream and downstream segments of the rice supply chains. Investments are being made in
input supply, agri-support services, various forms of contract farming and modern distribution channels (supermarkets and food
retail shops)all enhancing productivity and invigorating trade.

Filipino agribusiness firms would do well to shed their traditional inward-looking and defensive postures, and tap regional cross-
border opportunities to produce more rice for Filipinos, and more besides.

SL Agritech, a Filipino firm proudly exporting quality Philippine rice, is showing the way, oblivious to the debate over rice import
restrictions, and helping our rice farmers raise productivity. Even as a founding member of Asean, the Philippines has yet to take
fuller advantage of opportunities for economic synergies through regional production networks and value chains.

Whether in manufacturing or in agriculture, the Asean Economic Community can set us on new directions that could lead our
economy to grow in a way that benefits all, and leaves no one behind. But we must be proactive and creative, not defensive, in
engaging Asean.
60,000 security forces ready for Asean Summit 2017
Sunday, November 05, 2017

By THIRD ANNE PERALTA-MALONZO MANILA.

Thousands of police and soldiers cheer during a send-off ceremony and deployment to provide
security for next week's Asean Summit and other related summits which the country is hosting in Manila.
(AP Photo) OVER 60,000 security forces were mobilized Sunday, November 5, for the upcoming 31st
Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) Summit 2017 and related meetings which will be held in
Manila on November 13 to 17. Acting Local Government Secretary Catalino Cuy, chair of the Asean 2017
Committee on Security, Peace and Order, Emergency Preparedness and Response, spearheaded the
send-off of the government forces in a ceremony held at the Quirino Grandstand in Manila. Cuy assured
the security forces are also prepared for physical and cyber threats.

A lockdown will be implemented in the perimeter of the summit venues as well as in the hotels
hosting the delegates. Aside from the large deployment of troops, huge resources will be at the ready to
monitor, respond and provide support during the summit, Cuy said. Resources include 203 patrol cars,
394 motorcycles, 22 armored cars, 30 helicopters, 59 fire trucks, 94 ambulances, 125 explosive detection
dogs or K9 and 82 sniper teams came from 21 government agencies who will take part in ensuring that
the conduct of the said summit will be peaceful. Cuy also said several joint task groups and sub-task Units
have also been organized and are on deck with their personnel and logistics to ensure that the summit will
run as smoothly and peacefully as possible.

The send-off ceremony started with a mass followed by the testing of blinkers, alarms, water
cannons and other security equipment as well as a demonstration of civil disturbance management which
will be implemented during protest rallies. Also present during the ceremony were Ambassador Marciano
Paynor Jr., director general for Operations for Asean; Salvador Medialdea, Asean chairperson; Police
Director Napoleon Taas, commander of Asean Security Task Force; AFP Chief of Staff Lieutenant
General Rey Leonardo Guerrero; and PNP Chief Police Director General Ronald Dela Rosa. Meanwhile,
Dela Rosa said the 19,000 police officers who are part of the 60,000 security force for the Asean Summit
are all set and ready.

For its part, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) spokesperson Restituto Padilla said the Joint
Task Force National Capital Region which will be led by Brigadier General Jesus Manangquil has long
been prepared for the said event. "The JTF NCR, as the Metro Sentinel of the National Seat of
Government, has long been planning and preparing for contingency measures to address any worst-case
threat scenario and BGen Manangquil Jr. assures the public of ably providing the security coverage for
the venues as well as the safety of the people and all our visitors," he said.

At least 10 heads of state of Asean member-nations as well as United States President Donald
Trump, dialogue partners, observer states and other invited delegates from the Asia-Pacific region are
expected to attend the summit. Malacaang earlier declared November 13-15 as special non-working
days in Metro Manila, Bulacan and Pampanga to avoid public inconvenience. Metro Manila mayors,
however, extended the suspension of classes in all levels in their areas of responsibility on November 16-
17 to make it convenient for delegates who wish to explore the metro. (SunStar Philippines)
Reds slam Trump, Asean meet;
call for tactical offensives
By: Julliane Love de Jesus - @inquirerdotnet
INQUIRER.net / 04:42 PM November 06, 2017

The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) urged revolutionary forces to mount protests in the cities and
launch tactical offensives as it slammed the inter-imperialist collusion among the Association of Southeast
Asian Nations (Asean) member countries in the upcoming Asean summit.

As the imperialists and their subalterns congregate in their high-flying summits, the CPP calls on the
Filipino people and their revolutionary forces to mount protests in the cities and launch tactical offensives in
the countryside to underscore their demand for national and social liberation, the CPP said in a statement on
Monday.

State leaders, including United States President Donald Trump, will gather in the country as it hosts the
Asean summit and related meetings from Nov. 10-15.

The CPP also slammed the upcoming visit of Trump as it would only cement further the master-puppet
relationship of the US with President Dutertes administration.

He (Trump) will surely be pleased by the Duterte regimes vigorous push for further economic
liberalization, particularly with its rush to further open the economy to full foreign control by trimming down
the negative list of areas of the economy reserved to Filipinos, it said.

The party, founded by Jose Maria Sison, criticized Duterte for rushing charter change.

The CPP said Duterte is pushing for federalism to remove restrictions against foreign ownership of local
enterprises, something which the US imperialists have long sought.

The Filipino people must confront the Duterte regimes subservience to US imperialism, particularly, its
counterinsurgency doctrine and war on terror which serve as pretext for US military presence, intervention
and control of the AFP. They should also denounce the regimes push for all-out economic liberalization in
order to comply with US and China dictates and attract foreign investments, it said.
ASEAN business summit to
discuss reduction of non-tariff
barriers
The 3-day summit will press for the tearing down of non-tariff barriers which include quotas and levies as a way to
push the region's further integration

MANILA, Philippines Businesses will push for the reduction or removal of non-tariff barriers at the upcoming Association
of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit in a bid to fully realize the gains of liberalization.

Joey Concepcion, chairman of the ASEAN Business Advisory Council (BAC), said this issue is one of the remaining
deliverables at the ASEAN Business and Investment Summit (ABIS) set from November 12 to November 14.

"[Reducing] non-tariff barriers and lowering tariffs are a commitment by economic ministers. We need a larger base for the
markets to grow...we have to put pressure on the leaders," Concepcion said in a press conference at the Manila Polo Club
last Friday, November 3.

Non-tariff barriers refer to restrictions such as quotas, embargoes, sanctions, and levies. The 3-day ABIS here in Manila
will press for the tearing down of non-tariff barriers as a way to push the region's further integration.

Mentorship, logistics

Other than the reduction of non-tariff barriers, Concepcion said the ASEAN BAC will also seek greater connectivity to
improve logistics and movement of people in Southeast Asia.

This serves as a follow-through of the roll-on, roll-off (RORO)launched earlier this year between Davao, Philippines and
Bitung, Indonesia.

Another expected highlight of the ABIS is the launch of the ASEAN Mentorship for Entrepreneurs Network (AMEN) the
legacy project of the Philippines as this year's ASEAN chairman.

Pooling mentors across the 10 ASEAN member-states, AMEN aims to help micro, small, and medium enterprises
(MSMEs) to scale up their businesses.

Concepcion said the ASEAN BAC's vision is to eventually expand AMEN to include mentors from dialogue partners.
(READ: BDO guards turf from giant ASEAN lenders)

He added that 100 to 150 mentors from the region will pioneer AMEN.

It is an offshoot of the Philippines' own mentoring program, which has 450 members and 53 pioneer mentors.

The ABIS will serve as a venue for leaders to share their roadmap toward "prosperity for all," the theme of the Philippine
chairmanship of the ASEAN BAC.

The speakers on the summit's first day include Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, Indonesian President Joko Widodo,
Myanmar State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi, and Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.

The second day will have Chinese Premier Li Keqiang, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, South Korean
President Moon Jae-in, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Australian
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull.

Attendees on the last day include former Philippine president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, United Nations Secretary-General
Antonio Guterres, European Council President Donald Tusk, ASEAN Secretary-General Le Luong Minh, US Secretary of
State Rex Tillerson, and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Rappler.com
ASEAN urged to reject political pressures,
manipulations aimed at swaying it to agree on
COC in South China Sea
Published November 5, 2017, 7:00 PM

By Roy Mabasa

Former Foreign Affairs Secretary Perfector Yasay Jr. has called on the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to
reject political pressures and manipulations aimed at swaying it to agree on a Code of Conduct (COC) in the South China Sea.

MB FILE Former Secretary of Foreign Affairs Perfecto Yasay Jr. ( Manila Bulletin)

Yasay Jr. made this call at the recently concluded Yushan Forum in Taiwan, even as he expressed hope that discussions toward
achieving a final and effective agreement could begin within the year.

To preserve its centrality and solidarity, ASEAN must reject political pressures and manipulations aimed at swaying it to agree
on a COC designed to advance the interest of another country to the prejudice and disadvantage of the other claimants, Yasay
told a high-level meeting attended by past and present political leaders in the Asia-Pacific region.

The South China Sea and a legally binding agreement are likely to punctuate the discussions at the East Asia Summit (EAS) on
November 13 when the 10 ASEAN leaders meet with their counterparts from the United States, Japan, China, Australia, India,
Canada, South Korea and Russia.

Yasay suggested that in the event that ASEAN cannot unanimously agree on a COC, it is crucial to leave the counterclaimants
alone in taking such other options towards a bilateral peaceful settlement.

ASEANs solid alliance as a force to reckon with rests on its preparedness in embracing disruptive events in a
nonconfrontational manner because of its commitment to ride and surmount the crest of that wave called the ASEAN way,
he said.

Furthermore, Yasay warned that the COC must not seek to replace or denigrate the implementation of the 1982 United
Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

Yasay recalled that when the arbitral ruling came out in July last year, the Philippines allowed the decision to speak for itself
as final and binding between the parties.

We did not gloat over our triumph that recognized the primacy of international as cornerstone of our rules based system that
applies with equal force upon all nations, large or small, Yasay noted.

Also in attendance at the forum were former Vice Presidents Teofisto Guingona and Jejomar Binay.

For his part, Guingona urged Taiwanese businessmen to utilize the Philippines as a gateway to Asia citing the benefits from
preferential tariffs that the country enjoys from the European Union and the United States.

Under such arrangement, Guingona said Taiwanese companies manufacturing in the Philippines could get duty exemptions on
exports of about 5,000 products to the US and 6,274 products to EU for up to 10 years.

Among the Taiwanese businesses that could benefit, he said, are the makers of footwear, headwear, umbrellas, electrical
appliances, bicycles, canned tuna and processed pineapple.
PUTS PRESSURE ON THE LEADERS: Asean firms say no to non-tariff barriers
By Irma Isip
November 06, 2017

Businesses in Asean will push for the remaining deliverables of their governments as well as other initiatives at the Asean
Leaders Summit next week.

Joey Concepcion, chairman of the Asean Business Advisory Council (BAC), in a press conference at the Manila Polo
Club Friday said a three-day private sector led Asean Business and Investment Summit (ABIS) will press for the tearing
down of non-tariff barriers as a way to move forward the regions further integration.

After the elimination of tariff, Concepcion said governments should strive for the reduction or removal of non-tariff barriers
to fully realize the gains of liberalization.

(Reducing) non-tariff barriers and lowering tariffs are a commitment by economic ministers. We need a larger base for
the markets to grow... we have to put pressure on the leaders, Concepcion said.

He said as Asean is consensus-driven, (removing non-tariff barriers) takes time... its a matter (of) how they trust (the
process).

At the ABIS set on November 12 to 14 at the Solaire Hotel, Concepcion said Asean BAC will also seek greater
connectivity to improve logistics and movement of people in the region as a follow-through of the roll-on, roll-off launched
earlier this year between Davao (Philippines)-Bitung (Indonesia).

A highlight of the ABIS is the launch on the first day of the Asean Mentorship for Entrepreneurs Network (AMEN), the
legacy project of the Philippines as chairman of Asean.

AMEN pools together mentors across the 10 members of Asean who will help micro, small and medium enterprises scale
up their businesses.

Concepcion said the goal is to eventually expand AMEN to include mentors from dialogue partners.

He said 100 to 150 mentors from the region will pioneer AMEN, an offshoot of the Philippines own mentoring program
which has 450 members and 53 pioneer mentors.

The Philippines has about 1,700 mentees.

AMEN brings together experts from each country in Asean across all industries from agriculture to technology to give
small businesses in the region greater access to capital and markets based on a sound business model.

Thirty leaders, at least 11 heads of state, from Asean and its dialogue partners have been invited to grace ABIS, a venue
for these leaders to share their roadmap towards prosperity for all, the theme of the Philippine chairmanship of the
Asean BAC.

The summit will be attended by more than a thousand leaders from business and policy-making communities from Asean
and beyond.

ABIS brings attention to the business, investment opportunities, issues and directions in the Asean.

There will be six fora: Asean Build, Build, Build; women empowerment; prosperity for all; Asean 100; shared economy;
and digital economy.

The lineup of speakers on the first day of the summit is led by Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, Indonesian President
Joko Widodo, Myanmar State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi, and Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.

The second day will have China Premier Li Keqiang, who is expected to discuss infrastructure; Russia Prime Minister
Dmitry Medvedev; Korea President Moon Jae-in; Canada Prime Minister Justin Trudeau; India Prime Minister Narenda
Modi; and Australia Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull.

The last day will be graced by former Philippine President Gloria Arroyo, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio
Guterres, European Council President Donald Tusk,AseanSecretary-General Le Luong Minh, US Secretary of State Rex
Tillerson, and Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

The three-day event will be capped by the presence of Vice President Leni Robredo.
Why you should care about
ASEAN integration
From working or studying abroad, to traveling more overseas, to having a better job, these are ways the ASEAN
integration can personally affect you.

MANILA, Philippines Imagine that pay raise you've been waiting for. Or perhaps an opportunity to work or study abroad.
How about the chance to travel extensively overseas?

These are the type of possibilities that the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) integration can make a
reality. The Philippines is pouring P15 billion into playing host to ASEAN summits and conferences this year, yet few
understand why they should care about these meetings and why ASEANs goal to be more integrated should matter to
them.

The truth is, a successful and more united ASEAN has concrete effects on us and our lives. Ten Southeast Asian
countries the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, Singapore, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam
want to improve the lives of their citizens. ASEAN integration makes it quicker to achieve these goals by working together,
rather than individually.

What are some of these benefits? Here are 5 ways ASEAN cooperation can benefit you directly.

1. Lower cost of living

The ASEAN Economic Community aims to minimize or negate taxes incurred between countries, which will allow the
prices of goods to go down.

Goods produced domestically may not be the cheapest option for the value you want, Ronald Mendoza, Dean of the
Ateneo School of Government, told Rappler on Tuesday, April 25.

If we open up our borders to trade, this is a possibility for us to lower some of the costs that we are faced with, and in a
way, what were doing here is increasing the purchasing power of the population.

This free flow of goods and services means your salary will get you much farther as products become cheaper. You will
be able to afford more food or goods.

2. Better jobs and quality of life

ASEAN will also allow you to access products or food or goods not previously available in the country.

As an example, Mendoza narrates that as a little boy, apples were expensive and considered a treat, because they were
imported all the way from the United States. Today, apples in grocery stores are cheaper than our own mangoes, he
said, thank to less trade barriers, making the price go down.

We can bring in products that don't even grow in the country, which again will elevate the standard of living in the
Philippines, he said. Food our population wasn't able to eat before, or was only able to consume at a very high price,
now we are able to bring in and it is something that is underestimated, in as far as lifting the standard of living of our
countrymen.

Additionally, ASEAN is working on allowing service providers across the region like air transport and healthcare to
establish companies across borders. For citizens, this means easier access to travel or medical care, which would
increase the standard of living.

Another goal of ASEAN is to increase foreign investments by removing restrictions and adopting international best
practices. This means enhanced job opportunities for ASEAN citizens as well, and a better quality of life.

We will have more options, we have more choices, Mendoza said.

3. Working and studying abroad

Another goal of ASEAN is to facilitate the free flow of skilled labor, which would allow nationals from ASEAN countries to
work abroad. It is aiming to facilitate the visas and employment passes for professionals and skilled labor, which aside
from increasing productivity, will benefit individuals with new job opportunities. As for the current OFWs, this policy will
also ensure more protection for Filipinos already working abroad.

The opportunities to live overseas are not just limited for workers. Even students may have the chance to study abroad.
ASEAN universities are enhancing their cooperation which will allow increased mobility for students in the region.

Why is this important?

Our young people are able to experience going to ancient sites in Myanmar and Cambodia, and going to school in places
like Singapore and Indonesia, making friends not just with Filipinos but those of many other nationalities with many other
religions, that will hopefully make the next generation a lot more open minded and stronger than this one, said Mendoza.

They will be much more capable than ours will ever be because of the limitations of what we grew up with. So this I think
is what were building here, he said. When you open up to something like this, and you have a vision of what that can do
especially to your young people, its going to make them a lot stronger. Thats really what we aspire for.

4. Easier travel

Remember ASEANs policy to make it easier for service providers to cross borders? Some of the priorities are improving
air travel and tourism, which means it will continue to be cheaper and easier for citizens in the region to fly not just to
neighboring countries, but other countries as well.

There have been many discussions in the tourism industry and [ASEAN] now realizes that the selling point in our part of
the world is not really an island by island, or nation by nation experience, but a multi-nation experience, Mendoza said.

They can experience several countries, islands, and cities, at rates that are now affordable for a bigger group of people.
Its a generation that will be much. much more empowered in terms of seeing the world in a different way.

Mendoza also said tourism is one of those ways we are going to rapidly put together that ASEAN spirit, and that ASEAN
sense of common good.

5. A better Philippines

Finally, with the free flow of goods, services, investment, capital and skilled labor, this could only mean a better region
and a better Philippines. The Philippines, and the other Southeast Asian nations, will be able to achieve their goals
quicker, and enjoy more success, through cooperation.

The export of product and services, trade, tourism, the benefits if you visit other countries and you make friends with
people you meet there, if young people study in each others countries and move across borders they will form ties that
will last maybe their professional careers and in the future, Mendoza said.

Who knows? They may be in the opposite ends of a negotiation table crafting our trade policy and maritime policy
because they both went to the same school of government here in Ateneo, or school of public policy in Singapore, or the
same business school in Malaysia, or they conducted collaborative research in Bangkok.

He added, These are the ties that actually bind us beyond pieces of paper and sign treaties. It is people who will build
ASEAN.

Mendoza emphasized the need for citizens of ASEAN countries to understand the value of working towards a common
regional good and not just a national good, of caring about what is happening politically, economically, and socially to our
neighbors because it too, will affect us.

Its important to see that national good is intertwined with regional good, that we cannot go at this alonem" he said.

"If we do, we will probably not extract the same benefits and success that we would if we were to go for these goals
together, cooperating in maritime economy, national security, international trade, promoting poverty reduction, and
international competitiveness. Rappler.com
The Philippines and ASEAN: A unique Opportunity
On 8 August we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations better known simply as
ASEAN. In the longer view of history, its survival may take those with old enough by surprise. Earlier attempts to form regional groups
such as the Association of Southeast Asia and MAPHILINDO had faltered.

But having survived is not the only success of ASEAN. Its central legacy is peace among its members but perhaps ASEAN is a victim of
its own success. We take the peace among us for granted, in the 1960s this was far from certain. The Konfrontasi between Indonesia
and Malaysia was fresh, the potential for conflict between the Philippines and Malaysia over Sabah was there, Singapore and Malaysia
had split. Our neighborhood could have been one of constant conflict and war, instead we have largely had peace thanks to the
wisdom of ASEANs founders.

Central to ASEANs purpose was to accelerate the economic growth, social progress and cultural development in the region through
joint endeavors

The Philippines is fortunate to play the role of ASEAN chair during its Golden Anniversary with Duterte as its leader. It gives us a
chance not only to evaluate and celebrate past achievements but also to look ahead. If ASEAN plays its cards right, it can play the
pivotal role in the Asian Century, or be footnote in history.

The ASEAN region has a large population and top 10 economy but does it have the ability to act in a concerted fashion? There are
crucial challenges that face us climate change, terrorism, and the open economic system.

The Asian Century is off to a rocky start but ASEAN can play a fundamental role in forging lasting solutions to these problems. The term
Asian Century has been used to describe the re-emergence of Asia as the worlds epicenter of political, economic and socio-cultural
activities. This is comparable to Europe emerging out of the Dark Ages, Asians are rediscovering their own past and deriving
inspiration from it for the future, as George Yeo, a former foreign minister of Singapore, described it.

Opinion ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1

As we have seen from recent election campaigns across the world and here there has been a sense of dissatisfaction with the way in
which globalization and integration has impacted peoples lives. This is in spite of the fact that hundreds of millions have been lifted out
of poverty through integration just look at the success that China has had with opening its economy.

The question is what will become of this system? It needs reform there is no doubt. Inequality has been rising and many feel that they
are not benefiting. The trouble is that closing economies will not make lives better not an Asian Renaissance but a new dark age. In
their foresight ASEANs founders have an answer for us that that the Association represents the collective will of the nations of South-
East Asia to bind themselves together in friendship and cooperation and, through joint efforts and sacrifices, secure for their peoples
and for posterity the blessings of peace, freedom and prosperity. More recent ASEAN agreements continue to focus on a people-
centered ASEAN. This must be made real if ASEAN must take if it is to be pivotal to the Asian Century.

As the nations of the region have democratized, there have been increasing calls for accountability. ASEAN has already launched an
ASEAN Economic Community, more needs to be done to make this a reality. We can already travel without visas to each others
countries. Is there a need for a way to facilitate the movement of workers? The idea behind the AEC is that together the ten members
would have more economic bargaining power on the world stage if they were to form a single market and production base especially as
the rest of Asia is becoming more attractive for investment and economic opportunities. Beyond ASEAN itself, we also have the
negotiations for the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP). This aims to bring together the markets of ASEAN with
our other regional partners. It can serve as a model for the rest of world on how to ensure that integration is indeed people centric.

Too much of our business and trade is between the increasingly rich urban centers like Manila, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur but it leaves
rural communities behind. We need to connect our rural areas better to the markets and improve productivity. The Asian Infrastructure
Investment Bank will provide more funding for such projects. But these projects need to be commercially viable and sustainable. No
repeats of the failed Westinghouse Bataan Nuclear Plant that had been the single biggest debt of our nation for decades.

The success of the AEC will determine whether ASEAN will be able to share the fruits of the Asian Century with other more powerful
nations. Progress towards this goal has been satisfactory, but a lot more must be done.

Such initiatives require support but this requires individuals to feel a part of it in short an ASEAN identity. Its impossible to imagine a
successful AEC if the leaders of ASEAN convey a message that of a single community of nations, but the citizens dont feel that way.

Ultimately, ASEAN is on the right trajectory toward enjoying a prosperous future in the Asian Century. But ASEAN so far been limited
to the political bureaucratic domains. In the decades following independence all ASEAN members have worked on nation-building,
defining and redefining what it means to be a citizen of our respective nations, in our case Filipino.

But we also have rich shared histories in our region. Consider for example the Laguna Copperplates at the National Museum, written in
Old Malay, or the origins of the word Visayas from Sri Vijaya. As we seek to build a community, I hope that historians can do more work
on how we had been pre-colonialization and infuse a sense of solidarity and shared pasts.

Marawi and decades to find a solution to secessionist movements in Philippines require a broader effort to integrate our Moro brothers
and sisters into the mainstream. Understanding their role in our past and how they help to connect us to our neighbors is critical. We
must make efforts to integrate their story into our national narrative, a narrative and culture that we should be proud of and call our own.