Awareness of ASEAN need to be strengthened amid terrorism, territorial row —Delia Albert

The Philippines has a weak level of awareness when it comes to the importance of being part of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), ASEAN Society of the Philippines chairperson Delia Domingo-Albert said on Thursday.

In a News to Go interview, Albert, a former secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), stressed that being part of the 10-nation community is crucial amid rising threats such as violent extremism and tension in the Southeast Asian region, particularly in the South China Sea.

"Fifty years ago, when I joined the DFA, I had high hopes that people will know about ASEAN and be able to participate in ASEAN. Nu'ng nag-retire ako, bumalik ako sa Pilipinas, nakita ko na mahina pa rin ang level of awareness, pagkakila ng ordinary people about ASEAN," she said.

"Ano ba ang ASEAN community? Kailangan i-clear natin sa mga tao na affected by this community kung ano ba 'yun. And 'yung level of awareness na 'yun, nakakabuti sa future planning ng mga kabataan so they would know how to interact with their neighbors," she added.

The Philippines, a founding member of the ASEAN since its establishment in 1967, is about to host the 31st ASEAN Summit themed “Partnering for Change Engaging the World" marking the ASEAN's 50th anniversary.

Greater cooperation against terrorism, according to Albert, topped the agenda as it is the "biggest threat" in the region.

"We should do more on the prevention of violent extremism... To me that is what is a big threat to our Southeast Asian region. It is really something that has affected us directly in our daily lives and that is top of the agenda," Albert said.

As to territorial disputes, the Philippines needs the support of neighboring ASEAN countries in dealing with China's claims over a large part of the South China Sea.

However, Albert clarified it was also important to maintain the relationship with powers in the region to prevent tensions from escalating.

"The President [Rodrigo Duterte] is the architect of foreign policy... But for one thing, we have made a major victory when we won that case in the South China Sea or West Philippine Sea. At the same time, we have to be able to manage our relationship with an up and coming power in the region... Geography is immutable. We are here to stay and we have to be able to live with our neighbors and we hope for the best that these events will not impede our development, at the same time, prove to be a better life for everybody, which at the end is what everybody wants to happen," Albert said.

"However there is this winning of the case that we brought before the court in The Hague where I think we made a point about our position in the claims over the South China Sea. And I think that is a very important victory for the Philippines and we should be able to support that. And I think most of our neighbors in our area who are affected by it are with us in it. With China, we have to live with managing the relationship so it does not escalate to something more than what it is evolving to," she added.

"So far we have been managing all these threats to us for the past 50 years. I think we should be able to manage this one as well," she added.

Other privileges emanating from the bolstered relationship of the ASEAN are tariff-free trading and visa-free travel between several countries in Southeast Asia.

Admitting that citizens may not directly feel the benefits of the alliance, Albert is confident that the ASEAN has shown enough diplomatic prowess in the past 50 years enough to conquer these threats.

"I believe we have slowly succeeded where we attract investment, common production center, and greater economic activity and it creates jobs," she said.

Dialogue partners expected to arrive in the Philippines for the 31st ASEAN Leaders Summit and Related Meetings include US President Donald Trump, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chinese Premiere Li Keqiang, South Korean President Moon Jae-in and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. —Margaret Claire Layug/KG, GMA News