The success of ASEAN regional integration will depend on how this affects the labor

market and quality of life of women and men in the region.

This joint study of the Asian Development Bank and the International Labour Organization
examines the impact of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) on labor. It highlights the
challenges and opportunities that will accompany the AEC, including managing labor migration,
boosting productivity and wages, and improving job quality. The report offers policy
recommendations for creating better jobs and ensuring that the benefits of the AEC are equitably
shared among different countries and sectors.

The AEC will create a single market and production base and new opportunities for prosperity
for the region's 600 million women and men. This will have implications for job gains and
losses, skills development, wages and productivity, labor migration, social protection systems,
and building connectivity. However, unless managed properly, the AEC may not translate into
benefits for everyone and could increase existing inequalities.

To realize the full potential of the AEC to deliver more and better jobs, decisive action is
necessary, including better management of structural change, ensuring that economic gains lead
to shared prosperity, while strengthening regional cooperation and tripartite dialogue. Ultimately,
the success of ASEAN regional integration will depend on how it affects the labor market - and
therefore how it improves the quality of life of women and men in the region.

ASEAN Integration 2015: Is the Philippines

Ready for AFTA?
Research > Presentations > ASEAN Integration 2015: Is the Philippines Ready for AFTA?

There is simultaneous happiness and unease over the ASEAN Free Trade Agreement (AFTA) or
its more recent transformation into ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement (ATIGA) and ASEAN
Framework Agreement on Services (AFAS). These are the heart of the ASEAN Economic
Community for which a mindset change of stakeholders is needed to face the end- 2015
economic integration deadline; these include politicians who have to implement agreements
committed and signed by the government, business leaders who ask for protection and
preferential treatment instead of proactively addressing long-term problems, and the general
public who must wage a continuous battle against corruption and inefficiency.

Fears over changing comparative advantages, bad environments of doing business, more
complex and chaotic global conditions, etc. must be balanced by careful exploitation of
opportunities. The Philippines has its own strengths going into AEC 2015 ,e.g., governance
improvements that led to stronger economic fundamentals and investment upgrades, and network
of overseas Filipinos who bring information on markets, financing options, transferable
technologies on top of continued foreign exchange remittances.

It could overcome its weaknesses by pushing for more reforms in investment/ trade promotion
and facilitation by:

 Automating business procedures in national government agencies; streamlining

procedures across various offices, and making them more transparent and consistent;
 Unifying various investment promotion bodies and adopting PEZA operation practices,
harmonizing their incentives, reviewing the Constitutional 60-40 rule on foreign equity
participation and other limitations; and
 Instituting a national single window and linking its databases with the Bureau of Customs
to improve risk management ; instituting e-government with sufficient physical and
human infrastructure.

The Philippines should also pay attention to its much neglected physical ports facilities through
PPP, remove conflict-of-interest in regulatory agencies that own certain infrastructure, review its
cabotage policy, and improve the efficiency of regulatory agencies and trade-related offices.

The ASEAN Political-Security Community and the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community do not
receive as much attention but serve as foundations for the economic pillar of the integration
exercise in Southeast Asia. Issues such as drug trafficking, labor migration, a peacekeeping
force, strong mechanism for enforcing human rights, and border issues among member states and
with China on maritime waters do affect the progress of the ASEAN Economic Community.
Local and foreign direct investments, as well as government expenditures, are swayed in certain
locations and industries according to perceptions on these matters.

UP Gears up for the Impact of the K-12

Curriculum and ASEAN Economic
Cooperation 2015
Posted on August 5, 2013 by UP System Information Office in Announcements
13
 Background/Rationale

As the 21st century education spreads worldwide, the UP prepares for, and cushions the impact
of the K-12 and the 2015 ASEAN Economic Community. It has unrolled a roadmap in response
to its role as the Philippines’ only national university – a leader and model in instruction,
research and extension work.

The ASEAN Integration 2020 aims to unite the member countries of ASEAN into one economic
and multi-cultural community cooperating also on security matters. The ASEAN Economic
Cooperation 2015 (AEC), as an initial step in the integration process, aims to develop the 10-
member countries of ASEAN into a single market and production base for the free flow of
goods, services investment, capital and skilled labor. While the goals are economic in nature,
human resource and capacity as well as their movements within the region will be inevitably
implicated. The Philippines being a signatory to and a member of the ASEAN, endeavors to
achieve the goals of the ASEAN.

Having 2015 as the target date for the ASEAN Economic Community, the following results are
expected from the education sector: 1) greater student and staff mobility 2) greater demand for
quality programs 3) more collaborative research and curricular activities 4) competition for jobs
and employment 5) higher employer standards, and 6) race for university ranking.

The education reform that resulted in the K-12 basic education curriculum stems from the need
to address the onslaught of globalization and regional cooperation for the graduates of HEIs to be
globally competitive. This requires internal changes to include a shift from 10 to 12 years of
basic education. The reform is stirred by the sore state of high school education in the country,
which has deteriorated in the quality and competencies of its graduates and has poorly prepared
HS graduates for college and for the labor market.

The fact remains that the Philippines is the only country in ASEAN and one of the three
remaining countries in the world with 10 years basic education (the other two are Djibouti and
Angola). By shifting to 12 years of basic education, the Philippines will now be at par with the
rest of the world. This reform that will result in a more solid basic foundation of HEI graduates,
will provide a bigger chance of becoming regionally and globally competitive.

The K-12 Program hopes to 1) decongest the basic education curricula; 2) prepare the students
for higher education and for the labor market, and 3) be globally competitive/ benchmark with
global standards.
To affirm UP’s leadership role in education, it will embark on a major change in its teaching
pedagogy, quality assurance assessments, and curricular programs, including the review of its
GE program. Given that UP’s student enrollment will be adversely affected in 2016 and beyond,
a ripple effect will be expected in its faculty’s academic load, administrative staff functions,
fiscal positions, support services and admission processes.

The concerns that have emerged are as follows:

a) What will be our decision for courses that duplicate those that will be taught in K 11 & 12?
b) Is our present GE framework still relevant?
c) Will the required units to finish College be reduced? Will more advanced courses be taught
to majors? What consequences will the changes in the undergraduate program bring to the
graduate program?
d) Should UP change its academic calendar to align with the schedule of international
academic partners?
e) What will be the effect of the changes on the admission requirements and examination of
UP?

What has the UP System Done So Far?

A UP K-12 Roadmap has been drawn. The Roadmap has set the following short-term (ST) and
medium-term (MT) goals:
1. Increase the awareness of the impact of K-12 and ASEAN Economic Community 2015 to
programs in the UP academic community (ST);
2. Review the GE program (ST);
3. Review and streamline CU offerings (ST);
4. Realignment of the academic calendar to synchronize with international calendar (ST);
5. Quality assurance (QA) assessment of curricular programs (ST/MT);
6. Revision of individual curricular programs by unit (ST/MT);
7. Address Faculty and Staff workload (MT), and
8. Review UP admission system (MT).

Simultaneous with the implementation of the K-12 Program in all elementary and high schools in
the country in 2012, UP through its OVPAA,

1) had its first salvo of a series of consultations with the officials of DepEd, CHED and members
of the technical working group;

2) conducted roundtable discussions with the Vice Chancellors for Academic Affairs, Vice
Chancellors for Research, and the GE Council members of the various CUs and the autonomous
College to clarify the impact of the K-12 Program and 2015 AEC as well as brainstorm on future
actions of Colleges and Universities;

3) at the start of 2013, the OVPAA conducted the consultative workshops among the concerned
officials of the CUs; the workshops will be completed in August; those that have completed the
consultative workshops are now reviewing their curricular programs with the expected revisions
completed by 2015;
4) the GE program is being reviewed and results of the review and revisions will be presented to
the various CUs for comments and suggestions, culminating in a system-wide workshop before
the end of the year, 2013.

What Should UP Constituents Do?

Needless to say, discussions and consultations on the impact of these changes should trickle
down to the various colleges, institutes and schools, which are expected to craft their own
specific plans and prepare their programs to address the impact of K-12 and the ASEAN
Economic Cooperation 2015.

The OVPAA has started the ball rolling for the CUs to undertake the following activities:
1. Conduct orientation and discussion on the K-12 and ASEAN Economic Community 2015;
2. Review and streamline undergraduate offerings and the GE program from July 2013
onwards;
3. Participate in the discussion on the revision of UP’s academic calendar to match with
international calendar before 2015;
4. Contribute ideas for the assessment of UPCAT and STFAP systems;
5. Formulate plans for faculty hiring and development including providing opportunities for
completing graduate degrees, conducting research, publishing and reviewing syllabi during the
K-12 transition period;
6. Formulate plans for extension activities, such as mentoring public school teachers
7. Review and formulate plans for the institution of honors programs and strengthen the
MS/MA Programs.

UP still has until the end of 2015 to implement its K-12 Roadmap and the 2015 AEC. The
Constituent Units, their Colleges and other concerned sectors are enjoined to actively participate
in the process of implementing the K-12 Roadmap and AEC Plans

PH basic education: 'Cramming' toward

ASEAN 2015
The PH schools should be ready both ways – so it can send students to other ASEAN schools
and be absorbed easily, and to be ready to accept int'l students
Jee Y. Geronimo
Published 3:43 PM, Dec 03, 2013

Updated 4:07 PM, Jun 18, 2014

MANILA, Philippines – When it comes to the impending ASEAN economic integration in 2015,
the Philippines is cramming things it should have done a decade ago because bureaucracy got in
the way then, the education chief said.

In 2015, an ASEAN Economic Community will be established, marking the start of free trade
among the organization's 10 member-states allowing free flow of goods and services – education
services included. (READ: ASEAN Economic Community: Are we ready for 2015?)

Speaking to Rappler and Manila Bulletin on the sidelines of an education conference Monday,
December 2, Education Secretary Armin Luistro admitted: “The Philippines is having a bit of a
difficulty because there are things that we really are rushing and cramming about which we
should have done earlier. But the political landscape at that time was not ready, so those things
did not push through,” he said in a mix of English and Filipino.

It was a kind of landscape where having separate agencies managing the education system –
basic education (Department of Education or DepEd), technical-vocational (Technical Education
and Skills Development Authority or TESDA), and higher education (Commission on Higher
Education or CHED) – brought division instead of unity to the government's education sector.
The country only started to see more reforms in the last two years, compared to the last decade,
said former Education Secretary Erlinda Pefianco, who also spoke at the conference attended by
thousands of educators.

She cited what actions the government has taken from 2012 to 2013 vis-à-vis what has been done
in the years before:

BASIC EDUCATION REFORMS

BEFORE 2012 2012-2013

Trifocalization of Education in the Philippines (by the Republic Act 10157: Kindergarten
Education Committee in 1991) Education Act

Republic Act 9155: Governance of Basic Education Executive Order No. 83, s. 2012:
Act of 2001 (renaming the Department of Education, Institutionalization of the Philippine
Culture and Sports as the Department of Education) Qualifications Framework

Republic Act 10410: Early Years Act

(EYA) of 2013

Republic Act 10533: Enhanced Basic

Education Act of 2013

The 3 government agencies learned to closely coordinate when they had to help put together the
Philippine Qualifications Framework (PQF). It seeks to align the country "with international
qualifications framework" to make it easier for workers to move to and be absorbed in other
ASEAN countries.
In the basic education sector, Pefianco said we are already at par with the rest of the world with
the enactment of K to 12. But there's more work to be done for both public and private schools in
view of ASEAN 2015. (READ: INFOGRAPHIC: 10 things about K to 12)

“If ASEAN 2015 really pushes through, the travel of students, even minors, will happen because
it should be cheaper...So there should be more access even to physical travel,” Luistro said.

“Because of that, our curriculum should also be ready both ways – for students to move to
another ASEAN country and not to have difficulty being absorbed, and the other way
around...we have to be ready also to accept other international students into the DepEd,” he said.

The role of private schools

Pefianco said statistics from DepEd (SY 2012-2013) show private schools are underutilized:

 1 out of 5 Philippine schools is a private school

 1 out of 10 Filipino pupils is enrolled in private elementary schools
 1 out of 5 Filipino students is enrolled in private secondary schools.
 The school to enrollment ratio of private elementary schools is 1:212. For public, it's 1:389
 The school to enrollment ratio of private secondary schools is 1:275. For public, it's 1:728

The thousand-strong crowd in the conference, mostly from private schools, reacted to this
statement, which prompted Pefianco to challenge everyone: "It is time to establish [a] new and
more strategic role for private schools as partners for ASEAN 2015." (READ: 3 things the
private sector can do for basic education)

One step toward a more strategic role, she said, is to review, revisit, or even amend two basic
documents:

1. 2010 Revised Manual Of Regulations for Private Schools in Basic Education

2. Republic Act 8545: "Expanded Government Assistance to Students and Teachers in Private
Education Act"

Contrasting educators, businessmen

Luistro said for him, there is no other group more apt to look at the integration than the education
sector because of how they define a community.

“Educators look at it from [a] long-term view," he said. "Generally – and this is not a criticism of
businessmen – of course they [think] more immediate because they're talking of money and
investment and all.”

“I think, in general, educators look at integration based on how you bring people together. So
you bring in culture, you bring in traditions, how societies can come together. Businessmen see it
differently. How do you reintegrate the economies of these countries so that it's easier to invest
in one country, it's easier to hire the best people and move from one country to another?” Luistro
said.
Luistro and Pefianco urged educators to revisit the principles of the Southeast Asian Ministers of
Education Organization (SEAMEO), which has been around earlier than the ASEAN.

“There's a big difference [from ASEAN 2015] because the SEAMEO is from the point of view
of young people and educators. If you look at ASEAN 2015, it's about trade, about
economy...For me, merge the two because they have to go through ASEAN 2015. But let us
make sure that we keep anchored on the principles of SEAMEO because the principles that
created SEAMEO are very good,” Luistro said in a mix of English and Filipino.

SEAMEO launched this year the SEAMEO College, envisioned to facilitate the sharing and
exchange of education ideas and initiatives on education among all Southeast Asian countries
(ASEAN's 10 member-states plus East Timor), and other associate member-countries. (READ:
The road to ASEAN 2015: Why are PH colleges lagging behind?)

SEAMEO President Pehin Abu Bakar Apong said in an earlier report that the college will
eventually contribute to fulfilling the ASEAN Community. – Rappler.com

DepEd playing catch-up for ASEAN 2015

by Ina Hernando Malipot
December 11, 2013
Share20 Tweet0 Share0 Email0 Share71

Manila, Philippines – Is the Philippines late for the ASEAN 2015 in terms of education?

Education Secretary Armin Luistro said the Philippines might be considered “late” for the
ASEAN economic integration in 2015 in terms of basic education but “only in the sense that
there are many things that we need to do.”

Luistro said the Department of Education (DepEd) has to catch up with reforms that should have
done a decade ago.

“All of these reforms (being done now) in the qualifications framework are all concepts that we
should have done 10 years ago,” he said at an education conference held recently.

“Kung naghahabol tayo ngayon—whether it’s the curriculum or bureaucracy—nandito na tayo

so we have to do the best that we can,” he said.
Luistro said the Philippines is having a difficult time cramming with measures to adapt to
ASEAN 2015.

“Medyo hirap ang Pilipinas because there are things that we are really rushing and cramming
about which we should have done earlier but the political landscape at that time was not yet
ready so hindi natuloy,” he said.

The linkage between lead education agencies including DepEd, the Commission on Higher
Education (CHED), and Technical Educational and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), he
said, did not happen so there was no qualifications framework early on.

Luistro said that one of the preparations being done by the DepEd for the ASEAN 2015 is
finalizing the K to 12 curriculum which is due to be released this month.

“The K to 12 is essential in the qualifications framework,” he said in an interview. “With this, we

are trying to ensure that the Philippine education would be at par with other countries in terms of
quality,” he said.

In two years, an ASEAN Economic Community is set to be established. This will mark the start
of free trade among the 10 members of the ASEAN community. Asked what would be the
implication of the impending development to the basic education, Luistro said it will greatly
affect student mobility and the readiness of the Philippine schools to accept international
students.

“If ASEAN 2015 really pushes through, the travel of students—even the minors—will happen
and would be cheaper,” he said. This, he explained, “will pave more access to education by
trying to eliminate barriers through physical travel.”

The Philippine education should also be ready in accommodating students—especially the

curriculum, he said.

“Our curriculum should also be ready both ways—for students to move to another ASEAN
country and not to have difficulty being absorbed and the other way around,” he said.

“Because of that greater mobility, there’s an implication to DepEd because we have to be ready
to accept other international students into our schools,” he said.

With the changes ASEAN 2015 will bring in terms of delivering basic education services,
Luistro said that there might be a “stronger” reason to shift the academic calendar to September
other than weather patterns.

“That would be ideal [making the academic calendar in sync with other ASEAN countries] but
we have to review if the ASEAN already in sync,” Luistro said. “Whether the ASEAN calendar
is already in sync—especially for basic education—mukhang hindi pa based on our initial
review,” he said.
Read more at http://www.mb.com.ph/deped-playing-catch-up-for-asean-
2015/#3WkkF14B3h8Fb3Mk.99

Is PH ready for Asean 2015?

Filipino businessmen believe that, while there's much to be done, the Philippines can still play
catch up and be ready for the AEC in 2015

Cai U. Ordinario
Published 2:10 AM, Apr 30, 2013

Updated 6:57 AM, Apr 30, 2013

HOPE FOR MANUFACTURING. The country's businessmen are still confident that the
Philippines has a fighting chance in successfully integrating into the Asean Economic
Community in 2015. Photo by AFP

MANILA, Philippines - Filipino businessmen believe that the country may not yet be out of the
race in terms of successfully integrating with other countries in the region under the ambit of the
Asean Economic Community by 2015.
In a general membership meeting on Monday, April 29, Management Association of the
Philippines (MAP) President Melito Salazar said, however, that the progress of the Philippines in
integrating with other countries in the region will be uneven, with some industries falling behind
others.

Some of the industries that will be ready by 2015 include the tourism sector while industries that
may fall behind include manufacturing. There are many reasons for this but the main point of
contention is the political will that is needed to push for necessary reforms.

Salazar said the Philippines already wasted a lot of time under the 9-year term of former
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. He blamed Arroyo's "political indebtedness" as the reason
for the inability of the previous administration to push for the necessary policies that will make
the country AEC-compliant.

"[The progress is uneven] because of those wasted 9 years under Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo,"
Salazar said. "When you're fighting for political survival, you don't include these other things
[that are important], you don't want to use your political capital but the President [Aquino] has
used his political capital."

Salazar said President Aquino's political capital was used effectively in the tourism sector, which
is one of the sectors that would be ready for the AEC. He commended the Department of Public
Works and Highways (DPWH) efforts to take over all the bad roads that lead to the country's
tourist destinations and perform maintenance works on them.

Winners and losers

However, the education and manufacturing sectors, Salazar said, could be included in the areas
where the Philippines will not be ready for the AEC.

In terms of education, given that it is only this year that the country implemented the K+12
system, the country's graduates by 2015 may not be ready for the requirements in a global market
place.

Philippine Automotive Competitiveness Council Inc. (PACCI) Executive Director Ramon

Vicente Kabigting said while there's much business to be gleaned under the AEC, the country
does not have strong backward linkages, or supply chain supporting, in the manufacturing sector,
for example, for it to benefit from the ASEAN single market.

Kabigting said seamless trade in the ASEAN involving a network of companies investing in
manufacturing and the free flow of goods and services in the region is the dream that is the AEC.
He said this cannot be abandoned.

"That's all very wonderful, I do not think we should throw that dream out the window, we should
keep on trying. But if we don't have the competitiveness, if we don't have stronger backward
linkages, then i think we will always be on the periphery of that dream," Kabigting said.
"I'm not saying we'd try to overhaul the ASEAN but there is a lot of good business and I think
you can see not only in automotive and the other sectors as well. Let's fill in the gaps and make
our industry have a stronger integration. Let's tank up and step on the gas," he stressed.

Money begets money

Philexport President Sergio Ortiz-Luis said what is lacking is the political will to implement the
necessary measures. He said that while the Philippines has made the most studies, fora, and
meetings on the AEC, no concrete plan of action has ever been implemented.

Ortiz-Luis noted that the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) does not have enough funds to
carry out extensive export promotion since its budget was only a measly P3 billion. Compared to
the Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) budget of P45 billion, the DTI's budget doesn't stand a
chance.

"I'm not so sure if we're ready for anything. I think that in 2014 (or) toward the end of the year,
we'll be talking about the same thing, asking the same question. We would probably say that
we're not ready and I think we've made the most studies, the most fora, the most meetings, on
this topics among our ASEAN partners and I think, at the end of the day, the political will to
really come up with a comprehensive action is not there. Unless we re-align the budget to really
create agencies, perhaps an ASEAN Tsar, we're not going to get anywhere," Ortiz-Luis said.

Analysts have said that ASEAN has achieved much in cutting tariff barriers to trade in goods,
but still has a lot to do before the end-of-2015 target in opening up the services sector by
removing non-tariff hurdles.

Speaking at the ASEAN’s annual summit on Wednesday April 24, President Benigno Aquino III
said that Southeast Asia's efforts to create a single market by 2015 are in their hardest phase
owing to protectionist reflexes on sensitive sectors.

"They have finished with the easy parts but the accomplishments will not be as fast as in
discussing the hard parts. When you reach that point, there can be some protectionist measures
taken by each economy," Aquino said.

Challenges outlined by Aquino include a framework to open up the services sector such as
banking, insurance, telecommunications and retail within ASEAN. - Rappler.com

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ARE WE READY FOR ASEAN INTEGRATION?

by Dr. Romulo A. Virola1

Last week, President Aquino went to Vladivostok, Russia to

participate in the 2012 Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC)
Leaders Meeting. The APEC 2012 priorities were to cover: i) trade
and investment liberalization, regional economic integration; ii)
strengthening food security; iii) establishing reliable supply chains;
and iv) intensive cooperation to foster innovative growth.2 Part of
the President’s agenda would have been a one-on-one meeting with
President Hu Jintao of China, but you know what? The two leaders
had “scheduling problems,” so the meeting did not take place. Even if they were not supposed to
discuss Scarborough. Such subtleties of diplomacy!

Within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), in case

you did not know or remember, regional economic integration by 2015 is the major agenda!
Among others, trade is expected to be facilitated and regional cooperation is expected to be
strengthened. The European Union had been a model for the ASEAN integration, but with the
financial woes now cracking the Eurozone, the integration strategies certainly need a
reexamination.
And so a big challenge it will be for our very own Department of Social Welfare and
Development (DSWD) Undersecretary Alicia Bala, who has just been appointed as a deputy
secretary general of the ASEAN Secretariat for three years from 8 September 2012 t0 7
September 20153. USec. Bala has been
a very active and supportive partner4 in the Philippine Statistical System and we are confident
Alice will do us proud in the ASEAN! Congratulations, USec. Bala!
In the meantime, are we in the ASEAN ready for the integration? In particular, what have we in
the Philippines done to prepare ourselves? Will we be able to stand up, or will we wobble amidst
the many challenges and opportunities that come with integration? Three years before the
ASEAN integration (and Millennium Development Goal (MDG) reckoning) in 2015, it would be
good to do some benchmarking. Where do we stand compared to our ASEAN brothers and
sisters?

In September 2004, Statistically Speaking featured the

article, “The ASEAN – Where Do We Stand? Or Wobble?”.
It reported that the Philippines was somewhere in the middle
among the 10 ASEAN countries for most indicators – “about
kulelat among the original ASEAN members (Indonesia,
Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and the Philippines) but still generally ahead of the Plus Five
(Myanmar, Brunei, Lao PDR, Cambodia and Vietnam).” The said article promised that, “six
years from now, we will find out if we could walk straight or if our feet continued to wobble and
our minds had started to boggle.” Indeed, in 2010 during the 11th National Convention on
Statistics, the lead author of this month’s article co-wrote a related paper with Dir. Candido J.
Astrologo, Jr. and Ms. Patricia Rivera5. Lest we forget that ASEAN integration will usher in
cooperation as well as competition, another update will be helpful to remind us that we have to
work hard to reap the benefits of our economic integration towards a cohesive ASEAN Socio-
Cultural Community. And time is running very short!

For the 2012 update, available data from different sources including the United Nations,
International Telecommunications Union, and the ASEAN Secretariat were used. It must be
reiterated, however, that the methodologies used in compiling these data are usually different
from those used for official statistics. Because international bodies generate their datasets with
international comparability as a primary consideration.

So, where do we stand compared to our ASEAN neighbors?

First, the good news …

In terms of annual growth rates of GDP and GDP per

capita, from 2nd lowest in 2002-2004, the Philippines
moved up to 5th highest in 2005-2010. (Table 1)
 The Philippine fiscal deficit as a percentage of GDP has
gone down from 5.4% in 2002 to 3.9% in 2009. And the
2012 number could look even better. (Table 1)

We have managed to reduce the pupil-teacher ratio from

35 in 2002 to 31 in 2009 for primary education, and
from 38 in 2002 to 35 in 2009 for secondary education. (Table
5)

Our adult literacy rate remains the highest in ASEAN!

(Table 3)

The not-so-good news…

The Philippines continues to have the 3rd highest population growth rate among 10
ASEAN countries. Between 2005 and 2011, Thailand had the lowest annual population
growth rate, while the highest population growth happened, would you believe, in
Singapore? (Table 1)

On tourist arrivals, the Philippines continues to record the 6th highest (or 5th lowest)
between 2002 and 2011. We certainly gained grounds with the inclusion of the Puerto
Princesa Underground River among the New 7 Wonders of Nature and with that
beautiful shot of Coron towards the end of, I hope you watched it, Bourne Legacy. But we have
to work even harder to convince the rest of the world that indeed, it’s more fun in the
Philippines! And of course, let us convince our fellow Filipinos. But first, couldn’t we make
local tourism less expensive? (Table 1)

The country’s teaching staff in primary education was 2nd highest in the Region between
2002 and 2010, next only to Indonesia. However, in secondary education, the teaching
staff in the Philippines between 2002 and 2009 was on the average, only 4th highest in the
Region, behind Indonesia, Vietnam, and Thailand. (Table 2)

In terms of gross enrolment ratio between 2002 and 2009, the story is reversed. The Philippines
ranked, on the average, 6th highest (or 5th lowest) in primary education but 2nd highest in
secondary education, behind Brunei Darussalam. (Table 2)

In terms of net enrolment ratio during the same period, the Philippines maintained its ranking as
4th highest both in primary and secondary education. (Table 2)

In terms of the human development index (HDI), the Philippines consistently ranked 5th
highest behind Singapore, Brunei Darussalam, Malaysia, and Thailand. But the 6th
placed-country, Indonesia, is closing in on us! (Table 3)

Our maternal mortality ratio and under-five mortality ratio consistently ranked 5th lowest
(or 6th highest). (Table 3)

And boy, oh boy, the bad news…

In 2002, we had the 5th highest per capita GDP in

current US $. By 2010, we had been overtaken by
Indonesia, with Vietnam right behind us. However, the ratio of
our per capita GDP to that of Vietnam had been eroded from
2.32 in 2002 to 1.81 in 2010. Yes, indeed, the Vietnamese are
coming! (Table 1)
 In terms of annual growth rates of merchandise exports,
from 4th lowest between 2002-2004, we went down to
bottom during the period 2005-2010. In fact, while in 2004 we
exported about one-and-a-half times that by Vietnam, in 2009,
it was Vietnam that exported one-and-a-half times our exports.
(Table 1)

View Motion Bubble Chart below

Between 2002-2004 and 2005-2010, the Philippines

remains to post the 2nd slowest annual growth rate in
foreign direct investments inflow. In terms of levels, we are
ahead only of Myanmar, Cambodia, LaoPDR, and Brunei
Darussalam! Hopefully, when the 2012 data all come in, our
position would look better! (Table 1)

From 2002 to 2008, the Philippine unemployment rate

was either highest or second highest (after Indonesia) in
the Region. Job creation, indeed, needs to be addressed. When
we looked at the income and expenditures of LGUs 6, we
pointed to the enormous savings of many of the cities,
municipalities, and provinces. Why couldn’t we use those
savings to generate employment? (Table 1)

While our relative standing as a tourist destination in

ASEAN remains the same (6th in 2002, 6th in 2011),
ahead of Cambodia (7th in 2011) but behind Vietnam (5th in
2011), our edge over Cambodia has gone down and we have
slid farther away from Vietnam. We used to receive about two-
and-a-half times the tourists in Cambodia and three-fourths the
tourists in Vietnam. Now, it is down to one-and-a-half times

and two-thirds, respectively. (Table 1)

Our standing in terms of life expectancy slipped down one rank, from 6th highest in 2000
and 2005-2007 to 7th highest (or 4th lowest) in 2008-2011. Good thing we still have Assistant
Secretary Eric Tayag at the Department of Health! For a medical doctor, Eric’s knowledge of
and appreciation for statistics are truly impressive and we could only wish that he would remain
in government forever. (Table 3)

We may be the “texting capital of the world,” but in

terms of mobile cellular subscriptions per 100
individuals, the Philippine ranking has been slowly, surely
slipping away – from 4th highest in 2002, down to 5th highest
between 2003 and 2007, 6th highest (or 5th lowest) in 2008-
2009, and 7th highest (or 4th lowest) in 2010-2011. (Table 4)

Further, in terms of fixed telephone subscriptions per 100

individuals, the Philippines ranked on the average, 6th highest
(or 5th lowest) between 2002 and 2004; but this went down to,
on the average, 7th highest between 2005 and 2011. (Table 4)

Likewise, in terms of fixed internet subscriptions per 100 individuals, while the Philippines
ranked on the average, 4th highest between 2002 and 2004, between 2005 and 2009, the
Philippines went down to, on the average, 5th highest. (Table 4)

And while we have reduced the pupil load of our

teachers from 2002 to 2009 in both primary and
secondary education, the reduction we gained was not as fast as
in countries behind us (Cambodia) nor in countries already
ahead of us (Vietnam). (Table 5)

We have the 2nd highest gross enrolment ratio in

secondary education but we only have the 4th highest
number of teaching staff. (Table 2) This may reflect on the
quality of our secondary education and with K to 12 now in
place, we would need even more teachers. The Department of
Budget and Management (DBM) and the Department of
Education (DepEd) had better be serious, very serious, about
the hiring of those 60,000 new teachers to keep the student-
classroom ratio to the desired levels of 25 from kindergarten to
Grade 2 and 45 from Grade 3 to high school. In the good old days, the numbers seemed smaller,
so maybe we should consider hiring even more of those noble teachers. And if we could exempt
employees working in government corporations from the standardization law, why oh why,
couldn’t we pay our overworked teachers a lot more? If only to stop the Filipino diaspora that
has incurred so much social cost to our children who have been left behind by their parents to
work abroad!

ASEAN INTEGRATION CHALLENGE

Statistics show that there are more bad news than

good news! Eight years ago, we wrote how
wobbly we were compared to our ASEAN neighbors. Sadly,
based on the statistics presented, the Philippines appears to be
even more wobbly. But let us not lose hope. Last month,
Statistically Speaking referred to the world expectation on the
emergence of TIP and N117, where P in TIP stands for the Philippines and the Philippines is part
of N11 as well. And just last week, the Philippines gained 10
notches in global competitiveness ranking, jumping to 65th out
of 144 countries, up from last year’s 75th.8 Yes, we can win
victories and we will win victories. But only if we work hard.
Together! Only if we succeed in designing strategies to convert
our weaknesses into strengths. We have lost Sec. Robredo and
the entire nation mourned; but we have many more good men and women in government.