#oneasean

So honored to be covering the soft launch of the new ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity building. (P.S. I'm in the same venue with the ambassadors, DENR Secretary, and even the 2014 Bb. Pilipinas International, and many more). #OneASEAN #OneBiodiversity

The year 2015 is a big year for the ten member states that make up the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, more known as ASEAN. By the year 2015, the ASEAN would push through with their plan called "One ASEAN", which merges all ten member states into one large economic bloc with about the workforce of 600Million people, and a total market of $3Trillion. The plan would ease up and improve activity on the region, boosting economic, social, and educational resources and opportunities. Because of this plan, no tariff would be imposed on goods from co-member states, social and cultural organizations would achieve a greater international scope, and all the more students could reach universities in different member states which would open them up to better education. Sounds good right? However, the buzz and excitement exists only in the upper echelons of the society. The big boys with their multimillion dollar corporations and the greatest universities around the region would be ready for it. But how about the common man? Is he ready to make the most out of the opportunities? The sad truth is no. Heck, He doesn't even know what ASEAN is. One could ask a taxi driver, a laborman, a plumber, a street vendor, a janitor, a small business entrepreneur, and even most of the student population. Nearly all of the mentioned wouldn't know about the ASEAN, what the group stands for, and what the acronym meant. They wouldn't even be interested in knowing. This is the big problem. How could a multinational plan that targets all peoples and all classes succeed if only the minority and the upper classes are aware, or much less care about it? A plan usually fails when a member of the group is generally unaware, or doesn't know what's going on. The ASEAN would waste a lot of time and resources targeting a country to help when only about 10% of the population cares. Among the goals of the One ASEAN is to instill economic stability and abolish poverty. If only the society elite knows of the benefits, the already existing imbalance of classes would dip even further. Imagine the giant companies getting more and more regional support and all the small businesses still stuck on local deals and opportunities. Again, only the upper classes would benefit. As observed in history, when a class would move into more success, and the other classes lag behind, the society would be controlled by the higher class. We wouldn't want an economy dominated by multimillion dollar companies now, would we? We wouldn't want the future entrepreneurs who start small to give up with the unfairness of a social system. Another goal of the program, and of ASEAN itself, is to promote higher education and increase the literacy rate to record highs. With One ASEAN, qualified students now could avail of education from universities in other nation states. With the absence of a Visa requirement (another perk of the program), imagine how easy it could be for students to pursue better and quality education outside of their country. Sounds real good. Looks real good. But again, only about 10% of the population cares. Generally, a better education lands a person in a better job with better amenities. Employers usually look to applicants with a good school printed on their resume. However, since not everyone is aware of what One ASEAN is, better and more privileged students would yet again get better education than the less privileged ones. Among the state scholars in a country, about 75% of them come from the lower to middle classes. Most of the people in those classes are not even aware. This would result in students from the upper classes to land on better schools, and thus, better jobs in the future compared to other students who are generally at the same level as they are, to lag behind, ceteris paribus. This would give more job opportunities to the minority who are aware than most of the population, which again, would create unfairness and imbalance. So what should we do? Should we start somewhere? Should we care? The answer is yes. Yes we should care. The ASEAN aims for the betterment of EVERYONE and not just the minority. It aims for a better living for the family, education that would prepare their kids for the global competition, and a good and well oiled economy that produces more stable jobs with better income The key is information dissemination. From the ten member states, only a fee have published news about the program, and most are in the line of business news. Local government units should start preparing everyone from now on. With the more people who know and are benefiting, the more will the country grow into a state that the ASEAN envisions it to be. Social networking sites and microblogging sites, as well as the local news, radio, broadcast and print media should be exploited for the dissemination of information. Knowledge is power. Small business entrepreneurs would get better regional support, and would be able to export their goods and services and expand their business better. One ASEAN would also allow investors from different member states to get in a country easier. This would land more jobs and a better economy. Also, it would make services from foreign countries more accessible to the common man. A visa requirement would be abolished when the program starts. This would allow everyone to get in and out easier, allowing a better choice of welfare and a better scope of opportunity. Along with this, students would be able to transfer to schools and universities in other countries. Getting the best education at hand would prepare the student for a global scale of competition and work. It would also allow a better future for the student. With every student getting world class education, the workforce of tomorrow is a sure global competitor. With everyone getting a better work, a better economy would flourish and the country would prosper. The One ASEAN would be a great thing. Education and business are only a small portion of what the program could offer. The sad truth is that only a minority of every nation state currently knows. People coming from less privileged families would go about their lives, content to see another day, still without knowing what One ASEAN could do for them. The key, as said, would be information dissemination. The advent of the internet and social media will be an indispensable tool for the knowledge of the masses. If everyone knows and benefits, the country would prosper. Who doesn't like to have a good life? One ASEAN would present a better opportunity for everyone. But still, one cannot spell opportunity without unity. -- Come back again next week for another editorial and commentary, speaking of the state of the nation, society, arts, and culture!