Angelica I.

Cular January 17, 2019

ASEANST Mr. Jhino Ilano

Given the 3 pillars of ASEAN, what pillar should the Philippines capitalize and improve further?
Why?

Our country, Philippines has an anomaly in the region of Asia-Pacific because it has
lagged behind other state economies, including Singapore, South Korea, and Taiwan. From the
position of being one of the wealthiest countries in Asia after World War II, Philippines now
belong to the poorest country state. It has failed to achieve a sustained period of rapid economic
growth and has encountered hardships from recurring economic crises. This persistent
underperformance has occurred in spite of the Philippines’ rich natural and human resources.
Among the 3 pillars of ASEAN, I think that Philippines should capitalize the ASEAN
Economic Community (AEC) blueprint. I really believe that our country is rich in natural
resources. As a matter of fact, it is stated in one of Hays (2015) article that rice and corn is
accounted for about 50 percent of the 4.5 million hectares of field crops on 1990. Another 25
percent of the cultivated area was taken up by coconuts, a major export crop. Sugarcane,
pineapples, and Cavendish bananas also were important earners of foreign exchange. In addition
to, Philippines is surrounded by a vast aquatic resource base. In 1990 fish and other seafood from
the surrounding seas provided more than half the protein consumed by the average Filipino
household. These facts and details prove that we have overflowing resources. In terms of
minerals, we also had a vast deposit of it. Actually, In 1988 the country was the world's tenth
largest producer of copper, the sixth largest producer of chromium, and the ninth largest
producer of gold. We have everything before. Natural resources, Minerals, and specially Human
resources. Our country is also known for having industrious, diligent and zealous Filipino
people. In fact, through agriculture, forestry, and fishing 40 percent of the thirty million people
who are employed had their occupations. Light manufacturing, construction, mining and the
service industries provide the remainder of employment opportunities. Philippines always belong
to the top prosperous country on the whole world. Filipinos had a great life before. But, as years,
decades, and generations passed by. These resources turned into disaster. Previous elected
leaders have no knowledge on protecting and reproducing it properly. Some of them, for
instance, during the Macapagal-Arroyo administration economic growth in the Philippines
averaged 4.5 percent, but poverty worsened during her term. Growth has accelerated under the
Gloria, Aquino government from 2001 to 2010, but with limited progress thus far in bringing
down unemployment, which hovers around 7 percent, and improving the quality of jobs.
Underemployment is nearly 20 percent and more than 40 percent of the employed are estimated
to be working in the informal sector. Another is the administration of Benigno Acquino III has
been working to boost the budgets for education, health, cash transfers to the poor, and other
social spending programs, and is relying on the private sector to help fund major infrastructure
projects under its Public-Private Partnership program. Long term challenges include reforming
governance and the judicial system, building infrastructure, improving regulatory predictability,
and the ease of doing business, attracting higher levels of local and foreign investments. Unlike
the administration of Ferdinand Marcos as a president he led this country in its post-war
reconstruction. Initially, his intentions were laudable, to improve the economy and to increase
agricultural productivity and to dismantle the oligarchy that had dominated the nation. His
greatest achievements were in the areas of infrastructure development, safeguarding the country
against communism, and international diplomacy. His administration increases the total
productivity that was said above. However, this administration was marred by massive
government corruption, despotism, nepotism, political repression and human rights violations
that removed him from his power and authority of being the country’s President.
I think it depends on the knowledge of our nation’s leader to properly and accurately use
these resources. We, Filipinos also have to cooperate for the good and betterment that we’ve
been wanting from the start. These resources can be the reason of our uprising nation again, just
like how it used to be before. We should use this economy to encourage foreign people to come,
visit and invest. Improving it will have big effect on our state’s situation. We don’t have to be the
poorest. Foreign people won’t have to worry on investing on us. We should also stop from
complaining from every issues and needs that aren’t provided. I do believe that our new
president Rodrigo Duterte is doing his best on making this country much better that before. He
actually has good plans and visions despite of his bad actions and wrong way of doing it. Our
country’s economy is slowly rising again from being one of the poorest. Let’s help build this
nation again. Use these resources as our advantage from other countries. Protect our environment
especially our agriculture. Continue to striving hard for ourselves, family, and also for this
country. As a result it is not uncommon for Filipino people to "volunteer" as workers in the
health care field in hopes of being chosen to work when a position becomes available. People
work seven days a week and take additional jobs to maintain or improve their lifestyle or pay for
a child's education. Eight hundred thousand citizens work overseas, primarily as merchant
seamen, health care, household, or factory workers in Saudi Arabia, Hong Kong, and Taiwan.
Over Seas Workers (OSWs) have a governmental agency that looks after their interests. Stop
abusing forest and seas. We can have their fruits at the right way. We must get it at the right time
in the right way. Replace what we’ve get for them not to exhaust.
In conclusion, Philippines should capitalize the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC)
‘cause we have all the resources we just have to know how to use it properly. Having the right
amount of knowledge in capitalizing it. On the other hand, I believe that we should focus on
improving our ASEAN Political-Security Community (APSC). Ever since, corruption and other
kind of fraud was included in every administration. Some laws and policy aren’t practice and
acted upon well. But, by the help of every Filipino, this nation will be better than ever. We’ll
keep this growth to make this state more advanced.

Reference:
Hays, J. (2008). Facts and Details of the Economics of the Philippines. Retrieved from
http://factsanddetails.com/southeast-asia/Philippines/sub5_6g/entry-3165.html?
fbclid=IwAR2FBFzb9lERETIVZQmrm5qG9NpAiVVd2JkHGy2emSO1WxwZKX7Jn-KUMbY
N.A (2015). Three pillars of to-be-formed ASEAN Community. Retrieved from
https://english.vov.vn/world/three-pillars-of-tobeformed-asean-community-305582.vov
N.A (2015). Three Pillars of ASEAN. Retrieved from https://www.facebook.com/notes/shake-
ng/three-pillars-of-asean/1191432230883837/
Salonga, J. (2001). Ferdinand Marcos Administration. Retrieved from
http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Ferdinand_Marcos
The Heritage Foundation (2019). Philippines Index of Economics Freedom. Retrieved from
https://www.heritage.org/index/country/philippines?
fbclid=iwar2ttj4k1lxjmyk7evx263naqs2ijeny3lucdcpcgxmtjla_yvtupkrzgik?
fbclid=iwar2ttj4k1lxjmyk7evx263naqs2ijeny3lucdcpcgxmtjla_yvtupkrzgik