Asean and the Philippine legacy
When the Philippines formally relinquishes the chairmanship of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) during the 40th Asean Ministerial Meeting that opens in Manila on July 29, it would have given a new dimension to the vision and mission of the 10-member regional grouping.This new dimension is expressed in the theme of the 12th Asean Summit, “One Sharing and Caring Community,” which is also the theme of the 40th AMM and the two related meetings, the Post Ministerial Conference and the 14th Asean Regional Forum.
The theme, we were told, was personally chosen by President Arroyo from a number of suggestions to emphasize that the Asean, which was formed 40 years ago as an economic grouping, should put a human touch to its agenda to serve the people and the community.
According to Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo, the concept deals primarily with poverty eradication, employment generation, gender equality, environment protection, primary education and HIV-AIDS prevention and cure.
On the aspect of caring, Romulo said that Asean aims to stress human resource development, sustainable environment and promoting health and welfare in the region.
In 2004 the Asean adopted a road map called the Vientiane Plan of Action, whose objective was to come up with an Asean Community by 2020. To achieve this goal, the Asean leaders decided to work together in three areas of cooperation—politics, security, and in economic and socio-cultural advancement.
It was during these discussions that the Philippine delegation pushed for the adoption of a community-centered concept, a more compassionate rather than materialistic approach to solving problems besetting the region.
The Philippines should follow through with more concrete measures that would flesh out this humanitarian concept, lest its initiative turns into an exercise in sloganeering.
For example, the Asean should come up with a swift mechanism that could respond to any disaster or emergency in the region, like the tsunami that hit Thailand, or the typhoons and landslides that ravaged the Bicol Region.
When some of the countries in the region were devastated by natural calamities, where was Asean? We read a lot about relief and rehabilitation efforts by the United Nations and other international organizations but nothing from Asean.
What about the hungry or malnourished children in the slums of Manila, or the increasing number of HIV-AIDS victims in Thailand? What is Asean doing to stop human trafficking and child labor in the region? Why has Asean not conceived a plan that would give scholarships to poor but deserving students?
Asean could truly transform itself into one caring and sharing community by matching its agenda for security, trade, human rights and regional cooperation with programs that help alleviate suffering and deprivation in the region.
The Philippines has the responsibility to make these things happen. We hope it exercises leadership once more in charting new directions for the Asean.
