Alyanna Angelina M.

Cabral PS 153
2012-65902 Prof. Estrella
APEC 2015
On Sep. 9, 2015, we attended a forum held in CAS Little Theater about the Asia-Pacific
Economic Cooperation (APEC). The topic of the said forum is very relevant since Philippines
will be hosting APEC 2015, which is to be held on November 18-19, 2015. In fact, the much
awaited APEC 2015 is starting to make headlines. However, as expected from mainstream
journalism, news programs report about the APEC 2015 in a superficial way. Last night, I was
able to watch a news report about the barongs that will be worn by the ministers who will be
attending the said event. This kind of journalism veers people away from the discussing among
themselves the more important aspects of this meeting of world leaders. Most may be not aware
about the purpose of APEC meetings. They are not able to discuss among themselves about what
could transpire in these meetings, how these meetings may lead to agreements that has
significant impacts on our everyday lives. Therefore, mainstream journalism, through this
superficial news reports, excludes ordinary people from higher forms of discourse.
The speaker of the forum on APEC, Renato Reyes, emphasized that the trade agreements
in APEC are not binding since these are not based on contracts. Member states are merely
convinced and not forced to join in the trade agreement. However, he also highlighted that
poorer member states really have no choice but to join the agreement laid down by powerful
capitalist countries. This is because poorer member states are dependent on the direct
investments of these capitalist states, and thus they are held in the neck by capitalist countries.
Moreover, according to him, it is to be expected that US will maximize the APEC platform to
promote the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA). Under the TPPA, US could have a
100% ownership of our strategic industries. That is if Philippines became a member of TPP. As
of now, Philippines is still not a member of TPP. However, as a poorer member state in APEC,
and as a dependent on US’s foreign direct investments, it can be said that Philippines does not
really have a choice but to join the TPP sooner or later.
Lastly, Mr. Reyes discussed the possible impacts of TPPA to Filipinos. When the time
comes that the Philippine government signs the TPPA and let ourselves to be under such
agreement, we will not just be giving up our sovereignty to foreign capitalists but also our
security. Granting foreign investors with 100% ownership of our strategic industries will make
our basic utilities, such as water, electricity, etc., more inaccessible because the resulting prices
will surely be high. The scariest thing that could happen to our country when it becomes a
member of TPPA is that US could also take control of the education in the Philippines. Indeed,
our educational institutions should never be controlled by foreign investors. This is because
education is the one that shapes the ideas and consciousness of people. Also, it is through
education that Filipinos develop a sense of nationalism. Therefore, having a foreign investor
own, for example, a university, makes Filipinos fail to develop nationalism and achieve
nationhood.