5th Country to Ratify the ASEAN Charter

My first prediction came true, Cambodia will be the next country to ratify the Asean Charter and so it was. Today Yesterday, February 26 25, 2008, the Cambodian National Assembly unanimously approved the ASEAN Charter.

Pen Pagna, Chairman of the legislation and justice committee of the parliament said that the ASEAN Charter can help Cambodia to "rule by law and walk to democracy and development". They are also very much interested in the economic and social integration with their ASEAN neighbors, as laid down and written in the ASEAN Charter.

This is great news, Cambodia showing interest and believes in the ASEAN Charter as a tool for democracy and the rule of law. This can be used as a leverage for Myanmar (Burma). The ASEAN Charter is now approved by half of its 10-member states. First was Singapore last January 7, 2008; then Brunei last February 15, 2008; third is Malaysia on February 18, 2008; Laos fourth, on February 20, 2008; and now Cambodia, February 26 25, 2008.

The next five that will ratify it are (in the following order of my prediction): VietNam, Indonesia, Thailand, Philippines, Myanmar.

Thailand already said that they will ratify it by June; Philippines gave word that they will start its ratification anytime soon. Indonesia on the other hand will seem to have some problems ratifying the it, but I am still optimistic that they will approve the ASEAN Charter before Thailand.

VietNam, being one of the countries that most benefited from ASEAN is set to ratify it next, and if you are not aware, VietNam is the most active ASEAN member to date having hosted many functions in different ASEAN sectors, as well as boasting how ASEAN could implement the ASEAN Economic Integration by 2010, 5 years ahead of schedule.

Philippines and Myanmar, I see the Philippines ratifying it before Myanmar, as the former already gave a statement on their change-of-heart. This is good, as once 9-member states ratify the Asean Charter, Myanmar will feel the pressure to ratify it before the 14th Asean Summit this December at Bangkok, Thailand, where it all began.

In fact, there will be a celebration already scheduled for the ratification of the ASEAN Charter by all 10-member countries, this will be held at the Saranrom Palace, where the ASEAN Declaration was signed on 8th of August 1967, 41 years ago by that time. Truly historic and a day to remember.

And I expect that this year's ASEAN Day, as per the ASEAN Charter, all 10-member countries must recognize, it will be a great day of celebration and the best time to spread ASEAN to the people themselves (enough of the Elite level media hyping). After all, August 8, 2008 is 888, for those who believes in numerology. What will happen on that day? I don't know, but I sure hope it will be positively memorable, and all countries declare it an official non-working holiday.

Congratulations to Cambodia! Thank you for your support of the ASEAN Charter, my Asean brothers and sisters!!

---

Sources:
Cambodian NA approves ASEAN Charter
Cambodian National Assembly approves ASEAN Charter

PS
"Asia's Perfect 10" founder, Denith, told us last week that Cambodia ratified the ASEAN Charter already, but news didn't came out until today. I can only imagine how it is like to see and hear TV and Radio stations filled with "ASEAN" and the "ASEAN Charter". I have yet to see and hear reports about it here in the Philippines. Until then, I can only imagine....

Knowing More About A Hero

A part of the Filipino education curriculum is the study of the life and works of the national hero, Dr. Jose Rizal. He is the famous author of the novels Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo, two of the greatest filipino literatures that sprang up the Philippine Revolution against the Spanish regime.
So, to further know about who this hero, I journeyed south from Manila to the town of Calamba in the province of Laguna to raid up the house of Jose Rizal's family.
After a two and a half trip from the capital, we arrived at the small historic town of Calamba to shoot our video documentary.
The house is said to be first stone and hardwood house in Calamba in its spanish architectural style. In 1848, Rizal's parents Francisco Mercado and Teodora Alonso moved here and in 1861, the hero was born.
Rizal's family was driven out of pressure by the spaniards and sold the house to Don Isidro for 24,000 pesos. It was totally destroyed during the World War II until it was restored by Philippine National Artist Juan Nakpil to become a shrine. It was inaugurated in 1950.
Today, the shrine serves as a museum housing different memorabilias of the hero's childhood including a statue of himself as a child and his pet dog. Visitors can visit the house everyday without any entrance fee. Taking pictures is also prohibited inside the shrine but because your naughty correspondent wanted so, he took it so!
Authorized by the curator for educational purposes, we were able to shoot scenes for our documentary inside and gave me the chance to take out my cam and take a few shots!

Rizal's statue as a child.























Outside the shrine are more relics of its noble history.


This hut is where Rizal and his siblings played.


The museum beside the shrine.





















Around the shrine is a bustling town with its rich history and culture.


The Calamba Church where Jose Rizal was baptized.




















The Well of Retraction.



















Souvenir vendors rest beside the shrine.


A tricycle driver waits by the road, ready to transport passengers to their destinations.

Laos and Brunei Ratifies the Asean Charter

Four out of ten countries of ASEAN ratified the 1st Asean Charter, the latest Laos and Brunei with the latter having ratified and submitted the "instrument of ratification" last February 15 before Malaysia.

Six more countries are still to ratify the Asean Charter namely - Cambodia, Indonesia, Myanmar, Philippines, Thailand and Viet Nam. All six countries have until early December to ratify the Asean Charter before the next ASEAN Summit starts.

I am predicting that the next countries to ratify it are Cambodia, Viet Nam, and Indonesia. The first two are where Asean was positively felt the most (being the newest members of the group and as reported in the ASEAN Awareness Survey) and Indonesia as being one of the founder of the grouping and being one of the most active about the Asean Charter (other than Singapore).

Congratulations to Brunei and Laos and thank you very much! This hopefully puts more pressure to the Philippines and Myanmar.

Here's the list based on reports:
1) Singapore - Submitted on: Monday, 2008-January 7
2) Brunei - Submitted on: Friday, 2008-February 15
3) Malaysia - Ratified on: Monday, 2008-February 18; Submitted on: Wednesday, 2008-February 20
4) Laos - Submitted on: Wednesday, 2008-February 20

The Asean Charter will be effective on the 30th day after the 10th instrument of ratification is submitted to the ASEAN Secretary-General Dr. Surin Pitsuwan.

Source: Press Release: Brunei Darussalam, Malaysia, and Lao PDR Ratify the ASEAN Charter (20 February 2008)

Trip to Chambok

My trip to ChamBok
First time experience

If you mention the name “ChamBok”, I believe not so many people in Cambodia know this place. Actually, Chambok is located near “Kirirom” which is one of the most famous waterfall sites of the country. Both places share the entrance. Follow the road until the fork: the left road goes to Kirirom while the right one leads to Chambok.

The road to the site is in good condition, but relatively small. However, you won’t encounter such turbulence alongside the way. You can enjoy the view of the landscape on each sides of the road.

Our trip was organized by the students of class M2.4 of IFL (Institution of Foreign Language, one of RUPP departments). This was their second trip which was initiated for celebrating end-of-term of their school. There were 25 attendances: 12 girls.

(Missing someone? Irik took the picture)

We arrived at the entrance post at 9am. The entry price ticket is 1,000 riels for Cambodian people while foreigner is charged 3$ (F.Child 1$). We commenced our “pilgrimage” after sorting all things out: store the accessories on ox cart, assigning personal and team carriage and share personal loading.

(Above) Relaxing: calm before storm.

The weight of the merchandises was getting heavier, but in reality, we were getting tired.

It was an easy road at the beginning, everyone was full of joy and energy. After we reached our first milestone, the ox cart unloaded the stuff for us to carry on. We have to re-organize by managing the mean of transporting the merchandises such as the oven, the ice-container, food etc. The road to Chambok waterfall was reportedly 3 Kilometres, which would cost us 1 hour and a half. Indeed, it took us more than two hours to arrive at our picnic spot.

My carriage was alternately the food and ice container. We worked as a team to move those things to our destination. We help relieved the load and change duty in order to save energy. The girls were not lazy at all, and in fact they were helpful and athletic.

However, as we travel alongside the beautiful, silent and harmonic path, we did not feel so exhausted at all. After each minutes of resting, we quickly regain energy. IT IS 3 KILOMETRES WALKING, and our merchandises were our responsibility.

<- Devil’s eyes: the ice-container weighted 10 Kilograms and we had to carry it for 2 Kilometres long. Despite this madness, it was my obsession and determination to carry it.

<- The whole group were not separated at all. They sometimes waited for others to catch up and continue. We kept moving forward, in the hope to see the remote waterfall site and under the light of experiencing the taste of life, even passing many formidable moments and paths.

Finally, we made it

The sound of water flowing boasted our spirit, refreshed our gradually exhausted mind and replenished our inner strength. We reached our destination. We set up our private zone for picnic and unloaded and unpacked all the merchandises. And I earned my rest. Chambok was a real heaven. We were surrounded by cold, fresh and clean water. The water is not for entertaining only; it is the soul of the local people. There is a prohibition for people not to use Shampoo while bathing. Let continues our story: it was time for BBQ. After a long, exhausted journey, red-hot, butter-imbued beef and some seafood were our precious launch.

We rested for 2 hours before climbing the road to the final destination of the trip. It was another difficult road but the willingness, curiosity and determination have been subjected as our self-incentive.

What's that?

The watherfall

We noticed that we were not the only one there. There were nearly 100 people visited the site that day. It is a regular number for this place, as it is still not well-known among people. Ah... it’s time to bath. Well! During the bathing, I didn’t take any photos. After that, we returned to our spot and enjoy a few moment before retreat home.

(Above)Busy guitarist: me with Genesis, my adopted son. As we consumed some of our merchandises, the loading was lighter. The returning trip was easier. However, some people still have to responsible for some important merchandises, and they could not escape.

What would you do after this kind of journey? Sleep of course: While some played cards: We ultimately arrived at Phnom Penh at 6pm.



We separated and went home with experience and unforgettable memory.

My opinion on this trip: That was a nice trip, a trip of my life.
Firstly, the people are all friendly. They are cheerful and helpful, possessing team-work spirit and nationalism. Eventhough I am not their classmates, I felt like one of them.
Secondly, the site is the prime reason. The beauty, environment and aspect of Chambok are very relaxing, serene and tranquil. The ambient is unique yet unexplainable. Silence is the theme of the site. I recommend this place for any adventurous travelers: you will experience total “Heavenization.”
Finally, visiting a waterfall deep in the forest is a rare occasion. The point of the journey lays crucially in the walking trip to the waterfall. Mostly, I have been to many waterfall sites, but by means of modern transportation. This time, we travel by our own feet. Experiencing natural beauty is one of the elixir of life. We are part of nature and exposing ourselves to nature is one method of re-combine our soul with the finest and wealthiest origin of human sources. I wish you have a good time when visiting this place.

ASEAN Reports 2008-02-18

This first ish are links to reports related to the ASEAN that we found to be interesting for ordinary people like YOU and me. This will be a regular thing, and I call this the "ASEAN Reports". I originally envisioned this on a supposed to be a "group blog" called "ASEAN Citizens" but I'm moving it here.

Next issues could be reports written by YOU, so just submit it to us with the subject "ASEAN Reports". Proper credits will be given. So without further ado:


ASEAN air force chiefs sign declaration of support to address terrorism
Summary: Air Force chiefs from all 10 member natios reaffirmed their commitment to fight terrorism together. They will share information, train together, and keep the communication line open. (Personal note: This could pave way to a real "Asean Air Force (AAF)" sometime in the future.)

Asean capital market forum kicks off today in Hanoi
Quoted: Participants will seek to engender legislations for businesses to issue shares in other countries to facilitate free-flowing capital within a manageable regional framework.

Now, the BEST news I've read today is:
Malaysian agrees to ratify Asean Charter
Summary: Simple, Malaysia is the 2nd member Nation (and one of the founder of ASEAN) to ratify the 1st ASEAN Charter/Constitution. (Personal note: My dear Philippine leaders, please, as one of the founder of ASEAN, and as a respect to our ancestors to whom the idea of a regional body originated, please ratify the Asean Charter!)


That's all for today!

Always remember: ASEAN: One Vision, One Identity, One Community

ASEAN Awareness Survey - A Summary

Here is a quick summary of the main part of the ASEAN Awareness Survey conducted by Dr. Eric C. Thompson, National University of Singapore, and Dr. Chulanee Thianthai, Chulalongkorn University, on behalf of the ASEAN Foundation, with support provided by the Government of the Republic of Korea.


Before anything else, here are the list of the Universities where the survey was administered during the year 2006-2007. The surveys were written in the main language of instruction at that university, as follows:

• Brunei - University Brunei Darussalam (Bahasa Melayu)


• Cambodia - Royal University Phnom Penh (Khmer)


• Indonesia - University of Indonesia (Bahasa Indonesia)


• Laos - National University of Laos (Lao)


• Malaysia - University of Malaysia (Bahasa Melayu)


• Philippines - University of the Philippines (English)


• Singapore - National University of Singapore (English)


• Thailand - Chulalongkorn University (Thai)


• Viet Nam - Viet Nam National University (Hanoi) (Vietnamese)

The main points of the survey are as follows (you can download the survey in PDF format below):


I feel I am a citizen of ASEAN
90% in Cambodia, Laos, and Viet Nam agreed with this statement
(2/3 in Cambodia, nearly half in Laos, and over 40% in Vietnam strongly agreed)
80% in Brunei and Malaysia
2/3 in Indonesia, the Philippines, and Thailand
60% in Myanmar

Membership in ASEAN is beneficial to my country
90% in Laos
70% in Viet Nam and Laos
60% in Cambodia
50% in Myanmar
By way of contrast, nowhere else did even 4% of students strongly disagreed.

My country's membership in ASEAN is beneficial to me personally
90% in Viet Nam and Laos
2/3 or more in all other nations except for Indonesia
Indonesia, students were close to evenly split
60% in Myanmar disagreed

ASEAN countries are similar culturally
80% in Cambodia, Indonesia, and Laos
70% in Philippines, Thailand
Evenly split between those who agreed and disagreed in Malaysia, Myanmar, and Singapore

ASEAN countries are similar economically
ASEAN countries are similar politcally
Students mostly disagree with the above claims wherein the strongest is in Singapore and Brunei
Myanmar - with some agreement mixed with strong disagreement
Cambodians do not see ASEAN countries as economically similar but are close to evenly split with regard to political similarity
Indonesia and Laos are close to evenly split in both economic and political similarities
Malaysian students are close to evenly split in economic similarities but disagree to political similarity
Philippines and Thailand do not perceive ASEAN countries to be economically or politically similar, though not quite as strong as students in Singapore, Myanmar, and Brunei
Only Vietnamese students generally agreed positively to all three dimensions of culture, economics, and politics, though the responses on the latter two were rather closer to evenly split



There are other questions in the survey, for example, how familiar the students are of their immediate neighbors, which countries are members of ASEAN, and identifying the Asean nations, to mention a few. In this regard, "students in the Philippines and Myanmar displayed the least knowledge about ASEAN, although this is not to say that they were unknowledgeable; only less so relative to their peers elsewhere."


To quote the National Summaries:

Brunei: Students from Brunei exhibited attitudes toward ASEAN that were generally positive, such as their high inclination to consider themselves citizens of ASEAN; though in some cases – such as indicators of commonalities – their attitudes ranged toward ambivalence. They showed fairly good knowledge of the region and in other respects followed most general, region wide trends among students elsewhere. With respect to views of Brunei from elsewhere, it remains one of the least salient and least familiar of ASEAN members; though some inclinations to view it as a destination for work attest to its reputation as center of wealth region-wide.


Cambodia: Cambodian students ranked among the strongest ASEAN enthusiasts across multiple measures in the survey. Although, their objective knowledge of the region, such as their relatively poor cartographic literacy, was somewhat less than found elsewhere. Evidence of the varied media-scapes across ASEAN was particularly evident in the results from Cambodia, where contrary to the norm elsewhere students rated radio very highly and newspapers and the Internet relatively low as sources of information. Despite being a renowned international tourist destination, Cambodia does not come across as such for students from other ASEAN nations, with slight exception in Singapore.


Indonesia: Indonesian students are generally positive in their attitudes toward ASEAN. Their responses fall mostly in the middle range across all various aspects of the survey relative to students elsewhere. In accordance with previous research we have conducted on regional perceptions, they show some particular affinities for their co-ethnic Malay-Muslim neighbors, Malaysia and Brunei (though not overwhelmingly or to the exclusion of other regional connections).


Laos: Students from Laos, like those from Cambodia and Vietnam, registered very high ASEAN enthusiasm. They were also among the most objectively knowledgeable about ASEAN from among all students in the region. One striking result in the responses from Lao students was their ambivalence, if not aversion, to their geographically and culturally close neighbor Thailand. We expect this is very closely related to the strong sense of Thai cultural hegemony in Mainland Southeast Asia, felt most keenly in Laos due to the influences of Thai popular culture and in other social and economic spheres. Given the feelings of young educated Lao citizens reflected in the survey, working to address these ambivalences is a point of special consideration, if not for ASEAN, then at least for advancing a positive bilateral relationship between Thailand and Laos.


Malaysia: Malaysian students, rather like those in neighboring Brunei, exhibited generally positive attitudes toward ASEAN, though mixed with some signs of ambivalence (again mainly related to measures of ASEAN commonality). Overall, their responses tended to be in the middle of the range of region-wide responses. Malaysia was in general the second most desirable destination for work, after Singapore and third most for travel, after Singapore and Thailand, among students elsewhere in the region.


Myanmar: Responses from Myanmar were among the most internally complex, in that they showed a mix of positive and highly skeptical attitudes. A more extensive analysis of the results is yet to be completed, though we strongly suspect that the negative attitudes toward ASEAN were all coming from one set of respondents and the generally positive from another set (rather than individual students having a mix of positive and skeptical answers). Myanmar was the only nation where such strong “ASEAN skepticism” was in evidence. It is possible that these responses may have been related to the very volatile events on the ground taking place around the time that the survey was conducted. It was also a point in ASEAN’s history when a member state – Myanmar – came under some of the most intense pressure from other members in the Association; and the responses of the “ASEAN skeptics” from Myanmar may have been reacting to those circumstances. The result may also reflect the broader general isolation of Myanmar despite its near decade long membership in the Association. It was also apparent from the results that Myanmar students were among the least objectively knowledgeable about ASEAN (but again, only relatively rather than absolutely so).


Philippines: At the other end of ASEAN from Myanmar (at least geographically), students from the Philippines also exhibited a relatively weak domain knowledge of the regional Association and its members. On the other hand, their attitudes toward ASEAN were generally positive and their responses tended to follow general regionwide trends.


Singapore: Students from Singapore did not exhibit the same sort of skepticism evident in the responses from Myanmar, but rather an attitude that would best be described as ambivalence. They were among the least likely to see ASEAN members as sharing similarities, least likely to consider themselves citizens of ASEAN and their domain knowledge was average to below average. But their responses did not display a tendency of strong aversion to ASEAN as appeared in results from Myanmar. Moreover, in many instances, such as rating the benefits of their nation’s membership in ASEAN, their responses were solidly in the positive realm. From the perspective of other nations, the survey points to the pivotal position of Singapore within the region as an overwhelmingly desirable destination (relative to most others) for both travel and work.


Thailand: Students from Thailand were another group whose responses fell mostly in the territory of generally positive, if not extremely enthusiastic, toward ASEAN. The responses pointed up obvious gaps and unevenness in their objective knowledge about the Association – particularly extremely high cartographic literacy but low recognition of the Association’s symbols and history. Like Singapore, the survey shows Thailand to be a focal point in students’ imaginative geographies of travel (though less so work).


Viet Nam: Students from Vietnam paralleled their peers in neighboring Laos with respect to their strong enthusiasm for and knowledge of ASEAN. They also displayed the strongest view of commonalities among the member nations of ASEAN. While Vietnam is still far from matching Singapore, Thailand or Malaysia, some signals in survey reflect a view of Vietnam as an increasingly important country (e.g. as a destination for travel and work) among ASEAN members.

* Values are not exact, words "over" or "almost" were removed for presentation purposes.

Download the Report: Attitudes and Awareness Towards ASEAN (PDF)

ASEAN Awareness Survey - A Summary

Here is a quick summary of the main part of the ASEAN Awareness Survey conducted by Dr. Eric C. Thompson, National University of Singapore, and Dr. Chulanee Thianthai, Chulalongkorn University, on behalf of the ASEAN Foundation, with support provided by the Government of the Republic of Korea.


Before anything else, here are the list of the Universities where the survey was administered during the year 2006-2007. The surveys were written in the main language of instruction at that university, as follows:

• Brunei - University Brunei Darussalam (Bahasa Melayu)


• Cambodia - Royal University Phnom Penh (Khmer)


• Indonesia - University of Indonesia (Bahasa Indonesia)


• Laos - National University of Laos (Lao)


• Malaysia - University of Malaysia (Bahasa Melayu)


• Philippines - University of the Philippines (English)


• Singapore - National University of Singapore (English)


• Thailand - Chulalongkorn University (Thai)


• Viet Nam - Viet Nam National University (Hanoi) (Vietnamese)

The main points of the survey are as follows (you can download the survey in PDF format below):


I feel I am a citizen of ASEAN
90% in Cambodia, Laos, and Viet Nam agreed with this statement
(2/3 in Cambodia, nearly half in Laos, and over 40% in Vietnam strongly agreed)
80% in Brunei and Malaysia
2/3 in Indonesia, the Philippines, and Thailand
60% in Myanmar

Membership in ASEAN is beneficial to my country
90% in Laos
70% in Viet Nam and Laos
60% in Cambodia
50% in Myanmar
By way of contrast, nowhere else did even 4% of students strongly disagreed.

My country's membership in ASEAN is beneficial to me personally
90% in Viet Nam and Laos
2/3 or more in all other nations except for Indonesia
Indonesia, students were close to evenly split
60% in Myanmar disagreed

ASEAN countries are similar culturally
80% in Cambodia, Indonesia, and Laos
70% in Philippines, Thailand
Evenly split between those who agreed and disagreed in Malaysia, Myanmar, and Singapore

ASEAN countries are similar economically
ASEAN countries are similar politcally
Students mostly disagree with the above claims wherein the strongest is in Singapore and Brunei
Myanmar - with some agreement mixed with strong disagreement
Cambodians do not see ASEAN countries as economically similar but are close to evenly split with regard to political similarity
Indonesia and Laos are close to evenly split in both economic and political similarities
Malaysian students are close to evenly split in economic similarities but disagree to political similarity
Philippines and Thailand do not perceive ASEAN countries to be economically or politically similar, though not quite as strong as students in Singapore, Myanmar, and Brunei
Only Vietnamese students generally agreed positively to all three dimensions of culture, economics, and politics, though the responses on the latter two were rather closer to evenly split



There are other questions in the survey, for example, how familiar the students are of their immediate neighbors, which countries are members of ASEAN, and identifying the Asean nations, to mention a few. In this regard, "students in the Philippines and Myanmar displayed the least knowledge about ASEAN, although this is not to say that they were unknowledgeable; only less so relative to their peers elsewhere."


To quote the National Summaries:

Brunei: Students from Brunei exhibited attitudes toward ASEAN that were generally positive, such as their high inclination to consider themselves citizens of ASEAN; though in some cases – such as indicators of commonalities – their attitudes ranged toward ambivalence. They showed fairly good knowledge of the region and in other respects followed most general, region wide trends among students elsewhere. With respect to views of Brunei from elsewhere, it remains one of the least salient and least familiar of ASEAN members; though some inclinations to view it as a destination for work attest to its reputation as center of wealth region-wide.


Cambodia: Cambodian students ranked among the strongest ASEAN enthusiasts across multiple measures in the survey. Although, their objective knowledge of the region, such as their relatively poor cartographic literacy, was somewhat less than found elsewhere. Evidence of the varied media-scapes across ASEAN was particularly evident in the results from Cambodia, where contrary to the norm elsewhere students rated radio very highly and newspapers and the Internet relatively low as sources of information. Despite being a renowned international tourist destination, Cambodia does not come across as such for students from other ASEAN nations, with slight exception in Singapore.


Indonesia: Indonesian students are generally positive in their attitudes toward ASEAN. Their responses fall mostly in the middle range across all various aspects of the survey relative to students elsewhere. In accordance with previous research we have conducted on regional perceptions, they show some particular affinities for their co-ethnic Malay-Muslim neighbors, Malaysia and Brunei (though not overwhelmingly or to the exclusion of other regional connections).


Laos: Students from Laos, like those from Cambodia and Vietnam, registered very high ASEAN enthusiasm. They were also among the most objectively knowledgeable about ASEAN from among all students in the region. One striking result in the responses from Lao students was their ambivalence, if not aversion, to their geographically and culturally close neighbor Thailand. We expect this is very closely related to the strong sense of Thai cultural hegemony in Mainland Southeast Asia, felt most keenly in Laos due to the influences of Thai popular culture and in other social and economic spheres. Given the feelings of young educated Lao citizens reflected in the survey, working to address these ambivalences is a point of special consideration, if not for ASEAN, then at least for advancing a positive bilateral relationship between Thailand and Laos.


Malaysia: Malaysian students, rather like those in neighboring Brunei, exhibited generally positive attitudes toward ASEAN, though mixed with some signs of ambivalence (again mainly related to measures of ASEAN commonality). Overall, their responses tended to be in the middle of the range of region-wide responses. Malaysia was in general the second most desirable destination for work, after Singapore and third most for travel, after Singapore and Thailand, among students elsewhere in the region.


Myanmar: Responses from Myanmar were among the most internally complex, in that they showed a mix of positive and highly skeptical attitudes. A more extensive analysis of the results is yet to be completed, though we strongly suspect that the negative attitudes toward ASEAN were all coming from one set of respondents and the generally positive from another set (rather than individual students having a mix of positive and skeptical answers). Myanmar was the only nation where such strong “ASEAN skepticism” was in evidence. It is possible that these responses may have been related to the very volatile events on the ground taking place around the time that the survey was conducted. It was also a point in ASEAN’s history when a member state – Myanmar – came under some of the most intense pressure from other members in the Association; and the responses of the “ASEAN skeptics” from Myanmar may have been reacting to those circumstances. The result may also reflect the broader general isolation of Myanmar despite its near decade long membership in the Association. It was also apparent from the results that Myanmar students were among the least objectively knowledgeable about ASEAN (but again, only relatively rather than absolutely so).


Philippines: At the other end of ASEAN from Myanmar (at least geographically), students from the Philippines also exhibited a relatively weak domain knowledge of the regional Association and its members. On the other hand, their attitudes toward ASEAN were generally positive and their responses tended to follow general regionwide trends.


Singapore: Students from Singapore did not exhibit the same sort of skepticism evident in the responses from Myanmar, but rather an attitude that would best be described as ambivalence. They were among the least likely to see ASEAN members as sharing similarities, least likely to consider themselves citizens of ASEAN and their domain knowledge was average to below average. But their responses did not display a tendency of strong aversion to ASEAN as appeared in results from Myanmar. Moreover, in many instances, such as rating the benefits of their nation’s membership in ASEAN, their responses were solidly in the positive realm. From the perspective of other nations, the survey points to the pivotal position of Singapore within the region as an overwhelmingly desirable destination (relative to most others) for both travel and work.


Thailand: Students from Thailand were another group whose responses fell mostly in the territory of generally positive, if not extremely enthusiastic, toward ASEAN. The responses pointed up obvious gaps and unevenness in their objective knowledge about the Association – particularly extremely high cartographic literacy but low recognition of the Association’s symbols and history. Like Singapore, the survey shows Thailand to be a focal point in students’ imaginative geographies of travel (though less so work).


Viet Nam: Students from Vietnam paralleled their peers in neighboring Laos with respect to their strong enthusiasm for and knowledge of ASEAN. They also displayed the strongest view of commonalities among the member nations of ASEAN. While Vietnam is still far from matching Singapore, Thailand or Malaysia, some signals in survey reflect a view of Vietnam as an increasingly important country (e.g. as a destination for travel and work) among ASEAN members.

* Values are not exact, words "over" or "almost" were removed for presentation purposes.

Download the Report: Attitudes and Awareness Towards ASEAN (PDF)

You NEED to help lest we want our future to stay dark forever

Malaysia is the second ASEAN member that ratified the 1st ASEAN Charter, but do you know that there is still much to be done? No, I'm not talking about the mumbo-jumbo elite high-level talks of our dear leaders, I am talking about what YOU and me must and need to do. But where are we lacking anyway? Which is our job as ordinary people? Read on and you will know.



What is an ASEAN Citizen?

Generally speaking, an ASEAN citizen is family-oriented, tradition-minded, respectful of authority, consensus-seeking, and tolerant.

As was explained by H.E. Ong Keng Yong, Secretary-General of ASEAN on 12th November 2003. He said that we are a "Caring and Sharing" people who [1]helps each other; [2] shares responsibilities; and [3] share benefits. "These common qualities in attitudes and predispositions are clearly reflected in the Bali Concord II (Declaration of ASEAN Concord II) adopted by ASEAN Leaders at their Summit in Bali, in October 2003." The document stressed our shared responsibility, shared prosperity, and shared identity.

It is these values that makes up an Asean Citizen. We value the culture, history, and beliefs of each other and give utmost respect to everyone. This has become known as the "Asean Way", and this today drives us forward into a future of One Region - the Asean Community (or should I say, in a not-so-far future "Asean Union").

BUT, there is a long road of work ahead of us all if we want to even go there. Forget about the "elite" or the policy makers, the problem lies down to the grassroots - the People, the Aseans. Our dear leaders can do everything they want, spend countless of hours and days in meetings, but unless all of it goes down to the "People Level", everything is or will become useless, wasted money and efforts.

For example, in a recently held dialogue session on Asean Charter: Its Prospects and Implications held in Brunei Darussalam, the youths do not have enough knowledge about the ASEAN and the ASEAN Charter. Yes they are aware of "ASEAN" as an organization, the summits, and media-hyped meetings like the signing of the ASEAN Charter, but it ends there. One student asked by The Brunei Times about their awareness of Asean and its efforts said:

I am aware of the happenings of Asean from watching the news and also from reading it online but I need to know these information because I am taking the Asean course this semester.

Other students, like Adina Hazri, also taking a course on Asean mentioned the lack of knowledge on Asean as an organization because it doesn't affect the younger generation directly, or should I say, the "people", the grassroots. She added, "The Asean politics mostly affects the elite such as policy makers and thus the younger generation like myself, do not automatically assume that we can contribute towards its development." And this the case not just in Brunei but in some Asean countries as well.

When asked about if they see themselves as a citizen of Asean, Husna, a student, answered that the fact that she took the course is in itself the evidence that she sees herself as an Asean Citizen. This is a good start nonetheless.

Why? The ASEAN Foundation released the results of their project: ASEAN Awareness Survey a month ago targeted towards the students or the younger generation. Quoting the current ASEAN Secretary-General Dr. Surin Pitsuwan:

Among the three pillars of ASEAN, the Socio-Cultural Community has been given the lowest attention although it is the most important pillar. As such, it is important to know where we are and how we can build a stronger bond for people to feel the ownership of ASEAN.

The "three pillars of ASEAN"?

• ASEAN Political and Security Community (APSC)


• ASEAN Economic Community (AEC)


• ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC)

I will concentrate on ASCC, and the vision states that "ASEAN's goal of a community of cohesive, equitable, and harmonious societies, bound together in solidarity for deeper understanding and coopration." ASCC key features are:

• Equitable access to opportunities will be universal - rising above the barriers of religion, race, language, gender, and social and cultural background


• Human potentials are nurtured to the fullest, so that all individuals can participate meaningfully in a competitive world in a manner that gives paramount importance to their welfare and dignity


• Norms of social and distributive justice are upheld by addressing issues of poverty and equity, and special care is given to vulnerable groups - children, youth, women, the elderly, and persons with disabilities - who could be the subject of abuse, neglect, and discrimination


• The environment and natural resources are protected and managed to sustain development and as a legacy for future generations


• Civil society is engaged in providing inputs for policy choices


• People are healthy in mind and body and living in harmony in safe environments


• ASEAN Citizens interact in a community conscious of its ties of history, aware of its cultural heritage and bound by a common regional identity

And that is the ASCC that many people, not just the students, are not aware of which is, as Dr. Pitsuwan said, "the most important". Here are some points of the report that Dr. Pitsuwan found as surprising, things to be concerned about, and disappointments.

• the most common attitude towards ASEAN was "positive"


• over 75% of students agreed with the statement "I feel I am a citizen of ASEAN". They may not know yet that the drafters of the ASEAN Charter felt that ASEAN was not yet ready to recognize the ASEAN "citizenship", the way the European Union does recognize European citizenship; thus the ASEAN Charter is silent on the ASEAN citizenship


• the positive sentiments were strongest in Laos, Cambodia, and Viet Nam. I guess they are newcomers and get a lots of benefits by joining the group


• the positive sentiment was weakest in Myanmar and Singapore


• only 38.6% of the students in the Philippines could correctly identify the ASEAN flag - this is quite serious, considering the fact that the Philipines was chairing ASEAN in 2006-2007, when this survey was conducted


• and worse, only 38.5% of the Thai students knew the ASEAN flag. I am afraid I have a lot more public information work to do in my own country, Thailand!

What I found interesting and disturbing:

• There is an overwhelming positive response (I can personally say "the majority") that "Membership in ASEAN is beneficial to my country"


• When the benefits of ASEAN were framed at a personal level, "My Country's membership in ASEAN is beneficial to me personally", the response is less than the general benefits to the country but it is strong nonetheless


• Philippine students are among the least cognizant of ASEAN as a regional grouping


• Philippine students can list only a relatively low number of ASEAN countries


• Philippine students when asked to list ASEAN countries with which they are most familiar, "other" non-ASEAN countries in general are listed more frequently than five of the nine members of ASEAN outside the Philippines

For the Philippine students, this only shows how the country developed to being "isolated" from the rest of the region, in which the main cause is that the country is very divided geographically and politically speaking within and without. Then secondly, the country is not bordering "by land" other countries, being a maritime country, we are less aware of the region than those who borders by land other countries.

Third, the Philippine education system. During my time, ASEAN was being taught to us. We have exams related to ASEAN, from identifying the nations in various methods, listing the members, and knowing the flag, even studying the rules in displaying the ASEAN flag side-by-side with the Philippine flag. We were even taught about our Asean brothers and sisters! I do not know what happened but ASEAN is not part of the curriculum anymore (or maybe it never was, I just got very lucky different schools I attended to teaches about the ASEAN).


What can we get from all these?

• We seriously need to have an information campaign


• We need to bring "ASEAN" to the grassroots level


• ASEAN must be part of the education system in all member countries


• We must have ASEAN Courses available, just like in Brunei, in all member countries


• We - the People of Asean, need to interact and socialize with each other more, be it offline, online, or through Online Games

The "elite" as we all call them can only do so much. They are here to set the road for us and for our children, and children's children. The day will come when they have to pass the load to you and me, but at this time, we are not ready to carry it and bring it to fruition. Many still dismisses the Asean as a "false hope", many will claim that "we are just copying the European Union". This is our region my brothers and sisters, and our region is "being left behind". If we don't take an optimistic view and be an active Asean, then our future, both as individual countries and as a region is very dark.

You don't know what to do? How about telling your classmates, officemates, colleauges, about this blog to begin with? No, we are not asking for hits, but we believe that we are helping in the fulfillment of this dream - OUR DREAM. We believe that through this blog, we can further open channels for each and every one of us to share our cultures, our histories, our values, and together build the "Asean Community".

Little efforts is a huge contribution to this huge dream of our region. This blog is only one of the many efforts being taken to foster good relationship with all the member nations. Best of all, being Optimistic AND Active will greatly help. Instead of saying pessimistic statements, instead of giving out passive comments, turn it around and make it useful for every reader who will read your feedbacks.

You and me are citizens of Asean. Though, the 1st Asean Charter still doesn't recognize "citizenship" in Asean "officially", as the survey shows, the next generation already sees themselves as one. I, being 26, sees myself as an Asean Citizen and is proud of it. Though it is not-so-clear yet as to what the "Asean Identity" is, but we are all molding that identity already.

If you still don't know what to do to help, then I suggest this, why don't you help in promoting the Asean Charter in your own community (school, office, home) and tell them the advantages of it? Tell them, for it to be effective and useful for our future, each of our governments must ratify it. As of the time of this writing, only Singapore and Malaysia ratified the Asean Charter.

So, there you go, we can greatly help in the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community, YOU can do it! Good enough? Easy right? Let's all start helping then..

---

Here are the links and sources you can visit for further reading:
Most youngsters identify themselves as ASEAN citizens
BiSEAN
GenNext knows little about Asean
ASEAN Being Left Behind
ASEAN Awareness Survey Discussion
A Citizens Summary of the 1st ASEAN Constitution
ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC)
Two New Portals About the ASEAN Identity
ASEAN Political and Security Community (APSC)
On ASEAN Integration
ASEAH Charter ("leaked" draft)
The 1st ASEAN Constitution adn the ASEAN Economic Blueprint
Asean Charter reflects grouping's chequered history
ASEAN Official Sites
Three months needed to publish ASEAN Charter
ASEAN Citizens
ASEAN Secretariat

And of course: ASEAN - Asia's Perfect 10

One Vision, One Identity, One Community

Year of the Yang Earth Rat - Happy Chinese New Year

I know I'm late, but better late than never right?
Well, late in greeting everyone because Im too bus with work, family, and well, gaming :p Was able to greet on time via my own blog, but forgot to post here as well.

So...

in Mandarin: “xin nian yu kuai, gong xi fa cai";
in Cantonese: “sun nien fai lok, gung hay fat choy"; and
in Hokkien: “xin ni kuai leh, kiong hee huat chai".

Thursday, February 7, 2008 is the (lunisolar) Chinese (Calendar) New Year. This year is also known as the Year of the Rat. Here are more details about this new year.

Heavenly Stem: 戊 wù
Yin Yang: Yang
Element: Earth
Earthly Branch: 子 zǐ
Animal: 鼠 Rat

Happy New Year and May You Become Prosperous!!

Cebu, Perfect City of the Month

South of the Philippines is a humble city with a booming economy, rich culture, friendly people and beautiful surroundings.

ASEAN Perfect City brings you the Philippine's Queen City of the South! Cebu!

Cebu City (Dakbayan sa Sugbu) is the second most important metropolitan area in the Philippines. It is the capital of Cebu Province and lies in the eastern shore of the island of Cebu. It is home to more than 80% of the country's inter-island shipping companies. Cebu is the center of the Metropolitan Cebu which includes the cities of Mandaue, Talisay, Lapu-Lapu and Naga.

As early as 3,000 years ago, Cebu or Zebu or Sugbu was already a prosperous settlement before it was colonized by Spain. In 1521, Ferdinand Magellan, a famous portuguese navigator landed in the shores of Cebu who was welcomed by Rajah Humabon along with 800 natives. Magellan however failed to successfully claim the Philippines after being slain by Lapu-Lapu, a cheftain.

The city is also famous for its white sand beaches, clear waters and numerous large hotels including the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and Convention Center, constructed in time for the 1998 ASEAN Tourism Forum, Marco Polo Plaza (formerly Cebu Plaza), the first deluxe hotel in the city, Hilton Cebu and Shangri-la Mactan Island Resort. Because filipinos are addicted to shopping, numerous commercial establishments have been set up. The most popular of which is the SM Cebu, the largest mall in the Visayas region and the Ayala Center.

Despite the presence of such establishments, the downtown area still remains the nerve of commercial activity in the city. The Basilica Minore del Santo Niño and the Metropolitan Cathedral are also located there.

In 2006, Cebu hosted the 12th ASEAN Summit in the newly constructed Cebu International Convention Center.

The city is most popularly known in the country as the host of the famous Sinulog Festival, held every 3rd Sunday of January in honor of Santo Niño, the "Holy Child". Sinulog is a dance ritual of pre-spanish origin.

Cebu is one of the two centers of education in the country, the other being the Manila Metropolitan. It has currently nine large universities, each with a number of campuses. among these schools is the University of the Philippines, Visayas-Cebu College (UP Cebu), University of San Carlos, the oldest educational institution in the country established in 1595 as the Colegio de San Ildefonso and the Cebu Normal University, established in 1915 as a branch of the Philippine Normal School. Many foreign students also come to Cebu City to study since education is relatively cheaper here. Most of them are Iranians and Nepalese who come to study dentistry and medicine. In recent years, many Koreans have come to Cebu to study English

Cebuanos (people of Cebu) speak english, filipino and bisaya, a native language of the Visayan region. the city's literacy rate is 97%.

The Mactan Bridge connecting Cebu City and Mactan Island.

The Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and Convention Center



The City skyline from the Cordova

Cebu at night



The Magellan's Cross Kiosk

Cebu International Convention Center


Photos courtesy of Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.