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PGMA's
Remarks during a Dinner with Selected CEOs hosted by SICPA Holdings Chairman Maurise Amon |
| Thank you,
Mr. Amon. Thank you for your wonderful dinner that you're hosting and thy kind words. Even
though we haven't started eating yet because I am told that in terms of the guest list and
attendance, among the business meals in this forum, this is the best night. Thank you very
much. Well, as I've told the various audiences, I'm very happy to be here as the current chair of ASEAN. And I'm proud as current chair of ASEAN to have been able to host the ASEAN Summit at such an important time when the Doha round is faltering, ASEAN stood up and proclaim its support, we're keeping the door of global trade open. And our trade ministers took the opportunity to discuss that again here in this world economic forum. And when those concern about nuclear proliferation, we have stood firm in our commitment to the U.N. Security Council Resolution 1718 on North Korea. And finally ASEAN is committed to expand its trade bloc, its trade area to create one of the world's great trading blocs. So I believe the future of ASEAN is bright indeed. And one of the things that I have talked about today also in the other audiences is that we are a strong link in the war on terrorism. We have caught in our lair... In our country, terrorism have operated freely elsewhere, when they get to our country, they got caught. And just a few weeks ago, we killed key Jemaah Islamiyah and Abu Sayyaf terrorists. We isolated these terrorists precisely because our peace in Mindanao is working and working well. We have a formula that's based on interfaith dialogue, economic development and joint security. This allows us to improve the lot of the people and to isolate the terrorists. This model is working in the Philippines and we hope such a model can also work elsewhere in the world. And finally, and I supposed most important for you who are movers and shakers of world business, we've turned the corner on our economy as many of you are aware. The credit rating agency have recognized that new revenue sources are here to stay. Our budget will be balanced. Our stock market is up. The peso is strong. This allows us to invest in job creation, better health care and more education opportunities. These are the keys to lifting the poor up. We're doing that for the first time in a generation and I am optimistic. In short, I'm optimistic about ASEAN, I'm optimistic about the Philippines, and with all of you present here, my optimism is even doubled. Thank you so much to all for being here. |
PGMA's
Opening Remarks during the Working Luncheon Session of the World
Economic Forum "ASEAN's Economic Roadmap" |
| Thank you
very much, professor. Ladies and gentlemen, I'm honored to be at this year's world economic forum, which is emphasizing the shift of economic power to Asia. Because it's time for Asia to stand up and be counted and to take control of its own destiny, ASEAN is asserting itself. After all, ASEAN is one-half the population of China but has a GDP that is very similar to China's GDP. It's a signal that Asia is maturing and that it has become a full partner in economic, security and political affairs. At a time of uncertainty in the world, ASEAN is taking a bold step forward rather than a timid step back by committing to establish an ASEAN charter. At a time when the Doha round is faltering, ASEAN wants to stand up and proclaim its support for keeping the doors of global trade open. And ASEAN is committed to expanding its trade area to create one of the world's great economic blocs. This is what the ASEAN roadmap is all about. An ASEAN charter will help achieve "one vision, one identity, one community" and hopefully, someday "one union" by providing an enhanced institutional framework as well as conferring a legal personality to ASEAN. ASEAN's first attempt to integrate began with the implementation of our free trade area in 1992. Since then, intra- ASEAN trade has grown fourfold. Now, we have decided to accelerate the establishment of an ASEAN community by 2015 rather than the original ASEAN 2020 vision. ASEAN envisions a single market and production base in which there is a free movement of goods, services, skilled labor and investments, equitable economic development, reduced poverty incidence and narrowed socio-economic development gaps among our members. To facilitate the free movement of goods, ASEAN integration is now underway in 12 priority sectors that make up the bulk of our trade with one another. ASEAN is not only eliminating or minimizing tariffs on priority sectors, it's also enhancing trade facilitation to reduce transaction costs and to reduce the cost of doing business in our region. This involves simplification and harmonization of our customs regimes through an ASEAN single window. As to the free flow of skilled labor, one example of integration is the mutual recognition arrangement for nursing services that was signed in Cebu, Philippines a few weeks ago. The challenge is to create a stronger, more united and cohesive ASEAN while further expanding our engagement with our dialogue partners and other parties. ASEAN is integrating with all the major economic players in the region -- China, India, Japan, Korea -- by forging individual 10+1 economic partnership agreements and negotiating free trade areas with each of them. The signing of the ASEAN -china agreement on trade in services at the Cebu Summit inched us closer to free trade in the region, cutting barriers on services such as telecommunications, transportation and tourism. Within the broader forum of East Asia summit made up of ASEAN + 6 dialogue partners, with whom we're integrating, we gave our community the means to fuel its growth with the declaration on the East Asian Energy Security in Cebu. And realizing the grave danger post by terrorism to trade and development and therefore to our economic roadmap, in Cebu, the heads of government signed the ASEAN convention on counter-terrorism, Asia's first legally binding counter-terror instrument. In sum, ASEAN is moving forward with firm accords on its own charter, security, overseas workers, and trade. It's moving forward on its economic roadmap. Thank you. |
