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.

Natashya Gutierrez
@natashya_g
Published 9:15 AM, April 26, 2017
Updated 9:15 AM, April 26, 2017
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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

ASEAN COLORS. Cars and tuk-tuk ride past a row of ASEAN member countries' flags in the Laos capital
of Vientiane on July 23, 2016, during the country's hosting of the 49th annual ministerial meeting of the
South East Asian Nations (ASEAN). Hoang Dinh Nam/AFP

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

How climate change affects

ASEAN affairs
'ASEAN has a big role to play as a conduit for regional and global cooperation to
address climate change'

Roy Joseph Roberto

Published 5:08 PM, November 25, 2017
Updated 5:08 PM, November 25, 2017
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CHANGING INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS. Climate patterns may affect international relations through
humanitarian crises, migration threats, and an increasing need for greater imports of vital goods

MANILA, Philippines Climate change is a clear and ever-present danger affecting us

on many different levels environment, economy, health, and even international
affairs. (READ: Climate change: Why PH should care)

A recent study published by the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA) and
the Myanmar Institute of Strategic and International Studies (MISIS) showed that
changing climatic conditions can also have an impact on Southeast Asia as a region and
on ASEAN as a multilateral organization.

First, changing climate patterns may affect interstate relations through humanitarian
crises, migration threats, and an increasing need for greater imports of vital goods.

According to the Global Climate Risk Index, 4 of the world's 10 countries most affected
by climate change are located in the region, namely Myanmar, the Philippines,
Thailand, and Vietnam. The authors argued that migration out of low-lying areas in the
broader region is a major potential climate-related trigger of international issues in
Southeast Asia. (READ: PH one of 10 most vulnerable countries to climate change)

"The effects of climate change are far-reaching and will greatly impact the region due
to the humanitarian crises that it may bring, and also due to the possible displacement
and migration of people, and the loss of livelihood," noted R.J. Marco Lorenzo Parcon,
foreign affairs research specialist of the Foreign Service Institute (FSI) and one of the
authors of the study.

Second, the reduction of carbon emissions requires international coordination and

cooperation. (READ: Will countries achieve zero carbon emissions by 2050?)

The region's coal-based electricity generation has been rapidly expanding, and this runs
counter to the nationally determined contributions (NDCs) which ASEAN member-
states have promised themselves under the Paris Agreement. Failure to break free from
fossil fuels can drastically affect ASEANs reputation in the international community. If
ASEAN countries continue to run their economies on dirty energy, the report warned,
there could be a large number of stranded coal assets in the future.

Third, the global energy transition driven by climate policy may lead to an altered
geopolitical situation in the world, including ASEAN.

There is a call for global energy transition to mitigate the effects of climate change.
Authors of the study observed a trend where Southeast Asian countries are moving
towards increasing dependence on imports of fossil fuels from the Middle East, making
them more politically vulnerable in that part of the world. This vulnerability can be
counteracted by climate mitigation measures such as reducing financial aids on coal
projects and by creating a bias on transition to clean energy.

Creating a team spirit in ASEAN

ASEAN has identified climate change as a priority issue since the 2007 ASEAN Summit
in Singapore. All member states have signed the Paris Agreement, and only Myanmar
has yet to ratify the historic global pact. At least 5 ASEAN countries reacted publicly to
President Donald Trump's announcement that the United States would withdraw from
the climate deal, criticizing it while reaffirming their commitment to climate action. The
Philippines was "deeply troubled" by Trump's decision, while Singapore described it as
"a great pity."

The study noted, however, that despite their positive stances on climate change, most
ASEAN countries have not taken on prominent roles in international climate policy. As
a result, they remain takers rather than makers in international climate politics. ASEAN
as an organization stands to gain or lose status by following up or not following up on
its member states on climate issues, and by member states succeeding or failing to
meet their NDCs. The ASEAN Secretariat can fulfill an important function by promoting
a team spirit around this status drive.

Parcon said that a collective voice is essential in calling for climate justice, as the effects
of climate change are far-reaching and mitigating its effects requires international
solidarity.

"ASEAN must also continue to emphasize the importance of strengthening

partnerships and sharing of best practices between its member-states and partners,
particularly when it comes to adaptation and risk reduction efforts," he said in an
interview.

ASEAN moving forward

ASEAN has already institutionalized a number of mechanisms to address the threats of

climate change. To move forward, the study offered recommendations for ASEAN to
energize its work on addressing the climate challenge.

The study suggested that ASEAN could formulate a regionally determined contribution
(RDC) by adding up the NDCs of its member states.

It said that ASEAN could as well implement several other concrete measures, such as:

ensuring that current and future initiatives under the

ASEAN Plan of Action for Energy Cooperation (APAEC)
are ambitious and detailed as to the reduction of
greenhouse gas emissions
highlighting the vulnerability of Southeast Asia to
climate change by publishing and sharing relevant
analysis
putting climate change high on the agenda of every
ASEAN summit
involving and connecting relevant civil society and
academic organizations across Southeast Asia
promoting the accelerated phase-out of fossil-fuel
subsidies.

For Edwin Estrada, FSI senior foreign affairs research specialist and a co-author of the
study, ASEAN must continue to build on the progress that it has made, ensure due
implementation of plans and projects, further promote cooperation and partnership
between ASEAN member-states, its dialogue partners, and other relevant
organizations, continue to make use of education to further disseminate information to
the communities, and to conduct more relevant studies.

Estrada also said that a dynamic interstate cooperation, establishment of feasible

action plans, effective implementation of existing ones, and the creation of a
sustainable long term regional strategy based on sound research are needed to fight
climate change.

"ASEAN has a big role to play as a conduit for regional and global cooperation to
address climate change," he added.

To be successful, however, the authors said that these climate-related initiatives will
need to consider the ASEAN way of conducting business, with its emphasis on national
sovereignty, non-interference, and consensus in decision-making. They argued that
this kind of approach is highly compatible with the traditional ASEAN approach to
interstate cooperation. Rappler.com

Roy Joseph R. Roberto is a Climate Justice Fellow of Climate Tracker, one of the biggest
hubs of online writers and climate advocates worldwide. He has been named as Youth
Champion for Climate Action by the 2030 Project in the Philippines. He wrote this article in
collaboration with the Climate Action Network.
Is ASEAN still a symbol of peace
TOPICS:AseanConsensus
Photo: Gunawan Kartapranata/CC BY-SA 3.0
NOVEMBER 28, 2017

2 0

ASEANs 50th anniversary was hardly eventful. Is consensus impossible among the ten different nations?

By Fiona Tang

A closer look at ASEANs 50th anniversary shows that not all is well. Some may call it a miracle, a
world star and well deserving of a Noble Peace Prize. While many others sensed inactivity, disunity and
inactivity.

ASEANs silence on the Rohingya crisis was deafening. During the Chairmans Statement, there was no
mentioning of the Rohingya community. ASEANs inability to address the humanitarian situation has
confirmed a culture of inaction.

Malaysias disassociation further proved division among ASEAN members. It shows that ASEAN is
having great difficulty gaining consensus among the members.

The slow process of the consensus rule

There are headline-grabbing events that suggest consensus is problematic within ASEAN. First being
a failed joint communique at the Foreign Ministers Meeting in 2012. Followed by Malaysias public
disavowing of the Rohingya statement in September 2017. The lack of unity is also revealed in use in
ASEAN communique of the caveat some ministers.

This suggests a failure to achieve consensus via consultation and negotiation. A consensus is crucial among
the members to address the issues happening in ASEAN. However, the urgency of crisiscontinues to grow
amidst discussion.

Analysts concern over ASEAN minus X formula

ASEANs consensus rule stems from the logic of majority over the minority. Results are slow due to this
process of consultation and consensus achievement. Unlike the EU decision-making system based on
unanimity. Analysts have issued concerns about this rule and advised for a change or an adjustment.

To regain faith, ASEAN must achieve unity in acting on existing regional issues. The collegial decision
system in the ASEAN minus X (A-X) formula does not equate unanimity. It is a practice that
requires compromising of own national interest for the sake of the region. The process may be slow but
often produced good decisions among the members.

An example would be the adoption of ASEAN Human Rights Declaration (AHRD) in 2012. Followed by
the Phnom Penh Statement. The aim of the statement was to address international human rights standards.
Consensus rule unites ASEAN

The consensus rule holds ASEAN together. It prides ASEAN on being different from the structure found
in the West counterpart. It enabled states to be independent of colonial power. It enabled the creation of
an institution that defends and protects their independence.

It is a process that encourages cooperation from sovereign states within the region. A cooperation that will
bring transnational peace and uphold regional relationship. ASEAN is a symbol of stability, peace, unity
and dynamic. With the solidity of a consensus rule, ASEAN should work on the unanimity among its
members and unity.

The challenge for ASEAN is acting on some regional issues as a united organisation. The challenge would
be to adjust the process of consensus and achieve unity among its ten members. The A-X formula should
also be in favour of all ASEAN activity as it originally intended.
 Tuesday, November 28, 2017

ASEAN Sees Sustained Growth

ASEAN is now more integrated than eve
r but further progress can be made through continued efforts
to reduce trade and investment barriers which can spur
investment flows

A ssociation of Southeast Asian Nations growth will continue to

outperform from a regional and global perspective, a Fitch Group unit said.

The regions extremely large market potential, BMI Research noted,

stems from its reform prospects, integration initiatives, demographic
trends and relatively mild: economic imbalances, news outlets reported.

"This is particularly true as the global economy risks shifting towards

greater trade protectionism, while weak productivity growth and
deteriorating demographics are likely to limit the number of fast-growing
profitable opportunities in developed markets, it said in an economic
analysis released late Friday.

Continued efforts to reduce trade and investment barriers are expected to

spur investment flows, which BMI said would support average real gross
domestic product growth of 5.1% over the next 10 years, higher than the
3.1% globally.

Myanmar and Vietnam will be the regions outperformers but the

Philippines was also tagged as a bright spot with GDP growth likely to
average a solid 6.2% over the coming decade. It noted, however, that
risks were weighted to the downside as the business environment has
been weakening slightly.

More Integrated

ASEAN is also now more integrated than ever but further progress can be
made, the research firm said. The drive towards establishing the ASEAN
Economic Communitypromoting free movement of goods, services and
skilled laborhas delivered another impetus for the regions economies to
roll back non-tariff barriers to trade and harmonize regulatory procedures,
it noted.
The proposed Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership and Chinas
Belt and Road initiative are also expected to bring the region closer
together and fuel growth in the coming years.

Political risks across ASEAN, meanwhile, are significant but manageable,

BMI said. From a regional perspective, the South China Sea issue is a
potential stumbling block that could hold back regional economic
integration, but we believe that the countries involved will manage to
strike a balance between protecting national sovereignty and their
economic interests, it said.

On the whole, ASEANs short-term political risk indices hold up relatively

well from a global perspective, with scores more comparable to developed
market averages than emerging market and global averages.

Bright Forecasts

Citing the report, the Vietnam News Agency reported that aside from the
ASEAN Economic Community, the proposed Regional Comprehensive
Economic Partnership and China's Belt and Road Initiative are expected to
bring the region closer together and fuel growth.

Myanmar and Vietnam will be the region's outperformers, the report said,
noting that Myanmar is expected to grow at an average of 7.2% per
annum over the next 10 years due to an increase in investment, aided by
improvements to the business environment and greater political stability.

Vietnam's growth will be boosted by a stable political environment, reform

momentum, an improving business climate and the manufacturing sector
benefiting from multinational companies relocating to the country for lower
production costs.

It also remains positive on Indonesia's growth prospects, due to its huge

young population, saying the country will be one of the largest recipients
of projects under the Belt and Road Initiative in ASEAN.

Meanwhile, Singapore and Brunei which already have much higher GDP
per capita are likely to see much slower rates of expansion, according to
the report.

Political risk is also likely in Thailand, Cambodia, Indonesia and Malaysia as

the countries change leadership in the next few years.
ASEAN Can Overtake Germany

Myanmar and Vietnam are projected to be growth drivers. BMI report

forecasts that with enhanced regional integration and continued reform
momentum, ASEANs nominal GDP in dollar terms can easily overtake
more mature economies like Germany by 2024 and Japan by 2026.

The region recorded an overall positive performance in the World Banks

Ease of Doing Business index 2018 led by Thailand who went up 20
places, Indonesia with 19, Brunei with 16 and Vietnam with 14. The rest of
the countries experienced little to no decline in rankings with the exception
of the Philippines which fell 19 places.

BMI pointed out that the Philippines fell by 19 places to 113th in the WB
report. Other Southeast Asian countries climbed an average of five places
in the latest index, which BMI said affirmed a long-held view that reform
prospects remain bright in the region.