APCO Officers attends lecture on "What the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) means for the Philippines."

By Richard J Ford, PRO for APCO Inc.
Sydney-Australia
August 20, 2017



On the 3^rd August Community Leaders and the Philippine Press were invited to a lecture given by Dr. Sandra Seno-Alday, Lecturer, International Business School, University of Sydney Business School and  Executive Member, Sydney Southeast Asia Centre (SSEAC) entitled, "What the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) means for the Philippines."

The lecture was held as part of the ASEAN commemorative activities being held as part of the 50^th Anniversary of the Founding of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

The commemoration of this milestone in the history of ASEAN is made even more significant for the Philippines as we serve as Chair of ASEAN this year in Manila  on 8^th August 2017. Some APCO Officers attended on behalf of affiliated groups Fil-Oz Liverpool and VAA Inc., President APCO Inc., Pet Storey and Richard J Ford APCO PRO and VAA Inc., and his asawa Dian Ford representing Fil-Oz Liverpool Inc.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or ASEAN, was established on 8 August 1967 in Bangkok, Thailand, with the signing of the ASEAN Declaration (Bangkok Declaration) by the Founding Fathers of ASEAN, namely Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand.

Brunei Darussalam then joined on 7 January 1984, Viet Nam on 28 July 1995, Lao PDR and Myanmar on 23 July 1997, and Cambodia on 30 April 1999, making up what is today the ten Member States of ASEAN. Look up on the ASEAN Website, http://www.asean2017.ph/ for further details.
The event opened with the ASEAN Anthem, “The ASEAN Way” –
Raise our flag high, sky high Embrace the pride in our heart ASEAN we are bonded as one Look-in out-ward to the world. For peace, our goal from the very start And prosperity to last. We dare to dream we care to share. Together for ASEAN we dare to dream, we can to share for it's the way of ASEAN.
The Consul-General Anne Jalando-on Louis, stated the President of Philippines, Rodrigo Duterte said that, “it was an ‘honour’ and a ‘privilege’ to be the Chair of the 50th ASEAN Summit to be held in Manila, Philippines 2017.”

The Speaker Dr. Sandra Seno-Alday, stated on the ASEAN partnership, that all regions of the world have different regional relationships as ASEAN does.  The speaker then went on to cover areas such as –

i) Integration, which involves the areas of Free Trade area of boundaries, Customs Union, Common Market that is free movement of people and trade as well as finance, Economic Union, Total Economic Integration, that is a full policy relationship.
ii) ASEAN Economic Community, which is applied to all areas, like the Primary Sector like Electronics, Healthcare etc., also involving areas like Products and Skills.
iii) Opportunities for Business Synergy, which is if there are no other ‘hidden’ barriers, like Mutual Recognition Arrangements (MRA’s), Free Movement of People and Low Cost Carriers.

The Philippines in 2017 has the opportunity to make ‘better’ connections.

Dr. Sandra Seno-Alday then went on to explain the Philippines position in all this in regards to it ASEAN role to play in the region and where it stands, since as far as ASEAN is concerned has had no significant growth. In 1990, trade connections established, then in 2000 there was better movements established across all areas, then in 2012, further trade connections were established. But to understand the no growth comment, we look at these figures, in 1999 and 2000 the Philippines was in 5^th place, then in 2000 it fell to 6^th place, as well as doing so again in 2012.