Archive - ASEAN at 50

KOTA KINABALU, Malaysia - Maxwell Leo Lee’s ‘blackboard’ is his smartphone, which is just a little bigger than his hand. The 11-year-old Malaysian student has been doing e-learning since March, when the government suspended physical classes in schools across the country amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

A recent online survey among regional affairs experts showed that while the Philippines looks to China to provide the “alternative regional leadership in the wake of perceived US disengagement,” it does not trust its intentions.

SINGAPORE - A Code of Conduct (COC) for the South China Sea could be concluded in as early as three years, just about the same time that President Duterte completes his six-year term as president of the Philippines.

After the deluge of headlines during ASEAN’s 50th birthday in 2017 and before that, the start of the ASEAN Community in 2016, this year may signal a return to what many see as ASEAN’s return to its uneventful – or boring – ways.

China’s influence on both regional blocs is so huge.

As if nothing happened. No construction, no land reclamation, no more concerns expressed on the South China Sea dispute.

Here’s a timeline of the journey from the ASEAN declaration in 2007 to the consensus in 2017.

It is now “theoretically possible.”

Countries in East Asia strengthened their call to end the use and development of chemical weapons in the region, expressing concern over North Korea’s nuclear program while seeking a resumption of dialogue to de-escalate tensions.

The AMRI is proposing a region-wide media literacy program among different stakeholders, including students, he said, that would tackle the spread of misinformation.

A key feature of the document is to afford mechanisms for ASEAN migrants such as labor contracts and legal representation.

“A piece of paper is not enforceable if parties do not honor their promises” - Lorenzana

Increasing local government engagement is one of the goals of the ASEAN integration, specifically in the BIMP-EAGA. But local governments outside of the key areas are not directly engaged.

As the Philippine government gears up to host the next ASEAN Summit in November, Carmen Verona is also bracing herself, but for something quite different: the possibility of getting evicted from where she sets up her makeshift store.​

DENR is batting for greater protection for whale sharks and four other migratory birds and fishes, through measures seeking to guard them against unsustainable tourism practices, among others.

Engage people more.

“The old solutions are not working anymore.” - Mahathir

“There are now very strong moves for members of ASEAN to get out of so called ASEAN way" - FVR