PHL needs to do a lot to succeed in ASEAN Economic Community

New policies, institutional bodies and interconnectivity are the things the Philippines must have in place to flourish in an economically integrated environment once the ASEAN single market is in place starting 2015, officials of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) said Friday. Both government and private sector must partner to be able to do these programs, the officials noted during the Economic Integration Forum at the Richmonde Hotel in Eastwood, Quezon City. "If ASEAN is to succeed in its integration, within and outside the region, it has to encourage more businesses and industries to develop and sustain their participation in global value chains and production networks, as well as improve their overall competitiveness and growth," Miguel B. Varela, said PCCI president, noted in his opening speech. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. Many things need to be in place if the Philippines wants to be able to integrate with the rest of the regionaccording to the forum participants. The interconnectivity between islands and ASEAN countries also needs to be planned before 2015. "The Philippines is strategically located to be connected to countries outside of the ASEAN which the region can take advantage of if trade is to grow," said Senen M. Perlada, Trade Department Bureau of Export Trade Promotions executive director. With these policies in place, 2015 is not the conclusion of the ASEAN Economic Community because integration is a long-term and evolving process. "With the economic community, there is an issue of timeliness to implement the commitments that we have made,” said Tariff Commission Chairman Edgardo B. Abon. “But more than that, we also have to make sure that we are ready to deal with this new rules-based system," he added. Policies need to be in place before we can truly integrate with the region, said Donald G. Dee, PCCI vice-chairman for Multilateral Trade, noting these have to be done immediately "or we will be left behind." These policies include the mutual reciprocity agreements on export standards, a national single window and customs certification, and as trade between and among countries will increase with the integration there has to be a dispute settlement agency in place. "This is a rules-based integration and there will be more players involved so there needs to be a way to settle problems," said Philippine Exporters' Confederation president Sergio R. Ortiz-Luis. — VS, GMA News