Why did the Philippines join ASEAN?

Dayang C Marikit

My Quora account is mainly focused on promoting and educating people about the pre-colonial period.

The Philippines was actually the one who proposed ASEAN to its neighbors.

• The concept originated as “Maphilindo” which stands for (Malaysia, Philippines and Indonesia)… This started as a way to reinvigorate their historical connections prior to Western colonization.

• However due to some anomalies on the part of the Philippines and Indonesia, this concept fell apart. The Philippines and Indonesia were trying to halt the formation of Malaysia and they plotted to divide the island of Borneo among themselves.
• After their failed attempt at creating “Maphilindo”… Filipino lawmakers later proposed the concept of (ASEAN) to our neighbors, but this time the concept included all of mainland and maritime Southeast Asia.

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So the answer to your question is… (The Philippines joined ASEAN because Filipino lawmakers were the ones who proposed it to our neighbors.)

Asean Landmark Lighting in Davao City.

EU and ASEAN – a restart?

THU, MARCH 16, 2017 BY THE MINDANAO DAILY MIRROR LEAVE A COMMENT

IN MY OPINIONKlaus Doring

These are really good news: the European Union and ASEAN are ready to restart free trade talks!

The EU and the 10-member bloc of Southeast Asian states are to put a trade pact back on the agenda after a 7-year hiatus. Currently only Singapore and Vietnam have free trade deals with Europe.

Trade ministers of the two regional blocs said in a joint statement on Friday  they had asked officials to develop a framework for a future free trade agreement (FTA). EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom said talks would restart, but there was no so far no targeted time-frame. In my opinion: no problem, most important is, ready to restart trade talks. Or as Mrs. Malmstrom voices out in Manila:

“We believe it is important to connect two growing markets and to take away as many obstacles to trade. Having a region-to-region agreement between the EU and ASEAN is a long-term goal we’ve been discussing for many years. We are now taking steps towards this.”

I also agree with Philippine Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez saying talks would resume in an attempt to counter uncertainties arising from “growing protectionist and inward-looking policy stances” that often blame trade for the loss of jobs because of automation and industrialization.

His comments were aimed at US President Donald Trump, who has vowed to impose tariffs on imports and bring back American jobs lost to other countries. Trump has also withdrawn the US from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) with several Asia Pacific rim countries, which included the ASEAN bloc.

The original negotiations between the EU and ASEAN began in 2007 but were suspended two years later due to the difficulties of agreeing a common set of standards among the 10 Southeast Asian countries, which include Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Myanmar and the Philippines.

Of course, human rights still an issue! A requirement by Brussels to consider human rights in its trade policies may also have been an issue. The EU has FTA’s with Vietnam and Singapore and is still negotiating agreements with the other larger countries in the region.

The ASEAN area is the world’s seventh largest market, and has a combined 622 million people and economy of 2.45 trillion euros ($2.6 trillion) and is driven largely by consumption, exports and manufacturing, with Europe a key importer of goods.

EU and ASEAN being ready to restart free trade talks? A big step towards better trade relations!

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Email: doringklaus @gmail.com or follow me in Facebook, Twitter or Linkedin or visit www. germanexpatinthephilip pines.blogspot.com or www.klausdoringsclassi calmusic.blogspot.com.

(Note: On Saturday-Sunday/March 11-12, 2017, an article appeared on my column WAS NOT MY COLUMN though it appears with my name and photo.)

35th ASEAN TOURISM FORUM Enlarge Photo PRESS RELEASE 01 / 05 / 2016 TEN TOURISM CZARS OF ASEAN TO MEET IN MANILA AT 2016 ATF PHILIPPINES - The tourism ministers of the ten countries constituting the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) are meeting in Manila at the staging of the 35th ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF) this month to map out an integrated tourism development plan and policy framework for the entire region. The ministers, according to the Department of Tourism (DOT), will also meet with the officers of the national tourism organizations (NTOs) of the ASEAN-member countries during the ATF 2016. Comprising the NTOs are industry players and regulators of the various tourism sectors of Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. The daily meetings will be held at the Hotel Sofitel Philippine Plaza from January 18 to 22 as DOT marketing arm Tourism Promotions Board rolls out the ATF exhibits at the SMX Convention Center, Mall of Asia, for the entire duration of the 8-day international event, or up to January 25. DOT Undersecretary and ATF 2016 Philippine Host Committee Chairman Benito C. Bengzon Jr. said the ATF exhibits featuring the bests of ASEAN would give thousands of visitors from all over the world an awesome viewing experience. Among the visitors will be hundreds of foreign buyers and members of the international media. “Representing the Philippines at the ASEAN Ministers Meeting is (DOT) Secretary Ramon R. Jimenez Jr., who sees the region emerging as a major player in global tourism,” Bengzon said. “The policies to be formulated and polished will be based on the inputs from the various NTOs and how these can be reconciled with the current laws of the ASEAN-member countries and immediately implemented across the board. The overriding objective is to come up with a single tourism policy infrastructure, legal framework or strategic platform for all of ASEAN that will be in line with the AEC (ASEAN Economic Community) blueprint 2025 formulated recently (Nov. 22, 2015 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia) and boost the inflow of tourists, not just to one or two countries, but throughout the region,” Bengzon pointed out. “The objective is to make ASEAN tourism contribute to the overall regional economic integration agenda that is envisioned to address the human requirements of Southeast Asia’s 622 million people,” Bengzon explained. “That regional population is equivalent to a whopping US$2.6 trillion consumer market, which can be translated into a massive human resource with a GDP or total economic output of US$2.57 trillion at a growth rate of 4.6 percent in 2014, or much faster than the developing Europe’s 2.4 percent, Latin America’s 0.9 percent, and the combined Middle East’s and North Africa’s 2.2 percent, all based on World Bank figures,” Bengzon stressed. “And while global financial services firm Morgan Stanley has projected the world economy to contract by five percent last year, the ADB (Asian Development Bank) sees ASEAN economic growth rising by 4.9 percent in 2015 and 5.3 percent in 2016 to help balance the deceleration in China and cushion its global impact,” Bengzon added. He cited tourism as one of ASEAN’s major strategic and tactical weapons in perking up business activities, drawing investments from other global growth centers, generating employment, raising government revenues, increasing corporate and individual incomes, and broadening up the region’s domestic capital and entrepreneurial base to help fight poverty and resist global financial shocks. “We just have to collectively preserve, develop and promote our distinctly natural, historical and cultural tourism attributes as economic assets and use them sustainably in addressing the needs of the ASEAN people. As the saying goes: ‘The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.’ This exactly is what ASEAN tourism integration is envisioned to achieve and inspire through this year’s ATF theme ‘One Community for Sustainability.’ ASEAN’s tourism resources constitute a gold mine yet to be tapped as, indeed, the best is yet to come,” Bengzon stressed. Ref: Joy A. Gador / Tel. No. (63 2) 533-9732 / MEGAReach Emailcast to more than 10,000 online guests worldwide: Department of Tourism - Region III (Central Luzon) G/F Marlim Mansions Hotel Bldg., Diamond Subd., Balibago, Angeles City, Philippines Phone: (63 45) 625-8525 Email: tourismregion3@gmail.com Recipient: PATA Gold Intl Award 2001, Kalakbay Natl Award 2001, ASEANTA Intl Award 2002 for Best Ecotourism Project Log on: www.visitmyphilippines.com MORE THAN 25 MILLION ONLINE GUESTS HAVE VISITED THIS SITE SINCE 2007. FIND OUT WHY!

Fastest Growth in Asean?

I was really surprised receiving the news, that the Philippine economy moved to the fastest in Southeast Asia in the third quarter at 7.1 percent from a year earlier, coming just a little behind China's growth and surpassing projections.

I received these news while waiting at the airport in Manila for my flight back to Davao City.

Presidential Spokesman Edwin Lacierda commented it like this: "This was possible due to sustained confidence in the leadership of President Aquino and his administration, which has consistently equated good governance with good economics. The government has pushed to ensure this economic growth is felt by the broadest number of people!"

The German Ambassador for the Philippines, Dr. Joachim Heidorn, whom I interviewed just a little while ago, had the same opinion. By the way, the interview shall be published here soon.

Philippines - the fastest growth in Asean? I pray and I wish, it might not become a nine days fly... .