What does ASEAN Mean to ASEAN Peoples? (The Philippine Case)

www.pids.gov.ph 1

Philippine Institute for Development StudiesSurian sa mga Pag-aaral Pangkaunlaran ng Pilipinas

Sheila V. Siar, Director for Research Information, PIDS

Background◦ Public perception study conducted in 2016.

◦ Funded by the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA) and part of a bigger study comprising all 10 ASEAN member-states (AMS).

◦ Study aims to determine the level of awareness of the Filipino people of ASEAN as well as their aspirations, concerns, and hopes for the Association.

◦ Conducted through an online and paper-based survey and three focus group discussions (youth – Butuan City; business sector – Cebu City; mixed group – Quezon City) using a questionnaire supplied by ERIA.

2

Profile of survey respondents

3

31%

21%17%

18%

13%

Affiliation

Government

Academe

Business

CSO/NGO

Others (mostlystudents)

25%

38%

37%

Age

15-30

31-49

50+

SexMale – 52%; Female – 48%

Total sample: 289 respondents

Awareness of ASEAN, by affiliation

4

2.2

8.3 7.55.4 4.2

12.2

6.6

20.8 20.8

5.4

13.1

51.154.1

43.8

37.7

67.6

50.2

34.439.3

27.1

34.0

21.6

32.5

0.0

10.0

20.0

30.0

40.0

50.0

60.0

70.0

80.0

Government Academe Business CSO/NGO Others TOTAL

Leve

l of

fam

iliar

ity

(%)

Slightly Familiar Somewhat Familiar Moderately Familiar Very Familiar

5

Awareness of ASEAN, by age and sex

9.56.5

3.3

8.34.0 4.3

7.1

19.4 21.716.7

10.4

5.0

14.0 12.2

57.1

48.4

43.3

56.3

35.4

60.0

44.7

56.1

26.2 25.8

31.7

18.8

54.2

35.037.3

27.3

0.0

10.0

20.0

30.0

40.0

50.0

60.0

70.0

Male Female Male Female Male Female Male Female

15-30 31-49 50+ TOTAL

Leve

l of

fam

iliar

ity

(%)

Slightly Familiar Somewhat Familiar Moderately Familiar Very Familiar

Sources of information about ASEAN

6

◦ School

◦ Work/profession

◦ TV and/or radio

3.3 1.65.7 5.4 3.14.4

11.5 10.417.0

5.49.3

60.0

42.6

54.2

41.5

45.9 50.2

32.2

44.3

35.4 35.8

43.237.4

0.0

10.0

20.0

30.0

40.0

50.0

60.0

70.0

Government Academe Business CSO/NGO Others TOTAL

Med

ia c

ove

rage

of

ASE

AN

is n

ot

eno

ugh

(%

)

Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly Agree

Media coverage of ASEAN is not enough

Identification as ASEAN citizens, by affiliation and age

7

2.24.9

8.35.7

2.74.5 4.1

5.63.7 4.5

16.7

13.1

29.2

20.8

10.8

18.0

24.7

14.816.7 18.0

34.431.1

31.334.0

40.5

33.9

42.5

34.3

27.8

33.9

46.7

50.8

31.339.6

45.943.6

28.8

45.4

51.9

43.6

0.0

10.0

20.0

30.0

40.0

50.0

60.0

Government Academe Business CSO/NGO Others TOTAL 15-30 31-49 50+ TOTAL

Leve

l of

iden

tifi

cait

on

(%

)

No Somewhat Moderately Very Much

8

Benefits of ASEAN membership, by affiliation

2.26.6

4.2 3.8 5.4 4.2

13.3 11.5

37.5

13.216.2 17.3

46.7

52.5

31.3

49.151.4

46.4

35.6

29.5

22.9

30.2 27.0 30.1

2.20.0

4.2 3.80.0

2.1

0.0

10.0

20.0

30.0

40.0

50.0

60.0

Government Academe Business CSO/NGO Others TOTALPh

ilip

pin

es b

enef

itti

ng

fro

m A

SEA

N (

%)

Fairly Somewhat Moderately Very Much Don't Know

Benefits of ASEAN membership (from FGDs)

9

Youth Business sector Mixed group

Good for tourism

Good for trade especially in the export of

fruits

Will help the Philippine in rice importation

Useful for resolving conflicts related to

sovereignty (ASEAN can serve as a

“moderator”)

ASEAN can help in peace-building and in

resolving problems related to food security,

hunger, and technology.

On territorial/maritime disputes: ASEAN is

doing nothing to help the Philippines in its

geopolitical tension with China on the West

Philippine Sea. It is USA helping the country not

ASEAN.

Good for keeping trade barriers low

Beneficial for private firms as ASEAN

policies have eased importation ad

exportation activities

Good for travelling to other ASEAN

member-states and finding work for high-

skilled workers

ASEAN can serve as “an arena wherein

member-states are able to be in sync with

one another”, economically and politically

ASEAN should help the Philippines gain more

ground in the issue of territorial disputes.

Sense of

pride

Good for

the

Philippines

especially in

resolving

conflict

(e.g.,

Myanmar)

Why the Philippines should keep its ASEAN membership –Reasons given by the youth in the FGD

10

Important for trade

The Philippines has poor capacity to create jobs; being a

member of ASEAN will give Filipinos access to jobs in other

ASEAN countries.

Leaving ASEAN will weaken the Philippines as it will be

alone in solving its problems particularly conflicts and

calamities. [Used the analogy of not having friends if the

Philippines is not part of ASEAN.]

Pressing problems of the Philippines today and until 2025

11

FGDSURVEY

Pressing problems of ASEAN today and until 2025

12

SURVEY FGD

Expectations for ASEAN (Situation by 2025)

13

0

1

4

8

3

1

9

3

5

8

6

18

4

5

4

6

22

22

31

18

8

31

20

16

32

31

30

16

18

21

38

41

63

95

51

31

57

69

65

90

76

100

55

57

52

172

153

147

118

158

161

145

147

156

118

130

100

167

151

153

71

70

50

34

56

87

43

47

45

38

43

36

43

57

58

2

2

3

3

3

1

4

3

2

3

3

5

4

1

1

0 50 100 150 200 250 300

Goods, services, and businesses can move easily among countries in…

Skilled workers and professionals can easily find work in other…

Migrant and temporary workers from other countries in ASEAN…

Good governance and significantly less corruption.

Easy to physically move around through roads, railways, air, and…

People and businesses can digitally interact and communicate…

ASEAN people are deeply aware of the ASEAN Community and its…

The ASEAN Community deeply engages and benefits its peoples.

ASEAN pushes for equitable access to opportunities for its peoples.

Effectively protect human rights and minorities in the region.

ASEAN and its member countries conserve and sustainably manage …

ASEAN major cities are less polluted and more liveable than they…

Very much able to anticipate, respond, and recover faster and…

ASEAN has a strong voice and is an important player in global…

ASEAN deeply engages powers in the region and the world to…

Strongly disagree Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly agree Don't know

Aspirations and Hopes by 2025

14

1

0

1

0

0

0

0

0

1

1

1

2

0

1

0

2

4

3

5

1

1

5

4

1

6

1

3

1

3

2

13

11

16

25

14

11

19

18

14

23

21

27

15

11

12

110

115

116

103

111

110

125

119

121

109

112

112

111

100

107

163

159

153

155

162

167

140

148

151

150

153

145

162

174

167

0

0

0

1

1

0

0

0

1

0

1

0

0

0

1

0 50 100 150 200 250 300

Goods, services, and businesses can move easily among countries…

Skilled workers and professionals can easily find work in other…

Migrant and temporary workers from other countries in ASEAN…

Good governance and significantly less corruption.

Easy to physically move around through roads, railways, air, and…

People and businesses can digitally interact and communicate…

ASEAN people are deeply aware of the ASEAN Community and its…

The ASEAN Community deeply engages and benefits its peoples.

ASEAN pushes for equitable access to opportunities for its peoples.

Effectively protect human rights and minorities in the region.

ASEAN and its member countries conserve and sustainably …

ASEAN major cities are less polluted and more liveable than they…

Very much able to anticipate, respond, and recover faster and…

ASEAN has a strong voice and is an important player in global…

ASEAN deeply engages powers in the region and the world to…

Strongly disagree Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly agree Don't know

Common across groups: Economic growth

From the Business sector:

1. For the AMS to be able to rank with China, Korea, and Japan in terms of being economically stable. Singapore could lead ASEAN in this regard.

2. On territorial disputes, conflicts in geopolitical jurisdiction could be won over through a unified stand and support for the concerned AMS.

3. ASEAN integration is key for each AMS’s growth and development. Through strategic alliances, competitive advantages could be attained when negotiating and trading with nations outside ASEAN. To achieve this, the AMS must be able to fortify their political powers through the integration agenda. That is, for the AMS to play an active role in global negotiations and forums that directly affect the ASEAN region.

4. ASEAN could be instrumental in building quality education through promoting scholarship grants and student and faculty exchanges.

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Aspirations and Hopes by 2025 (from FGDs)

Summary of findings◦ Filipinos have moderate awareness of ASEAN and moderate

identification as ASEAN citizens.

◦ For the respondents, Philippine membership of ASEAN is beneficial for the country, albeit only moderate as well. The business sector has a lukewarm attitude toward ASEAN. This is indicative of the urgency to address AEC-related issues affecting the business sector (e.g., nontariff barriers).

◦ Media has low coverage of ASEAN.

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Summary of findings◦ The most pressing concerns being faced by the Philippines today are

Internet connection, poverty, corruption, agriculture and food security, and energy provision and prices.

◦ The most pressing regional (ASEAN)-level concerns are climate change and natural disasters, territorial and maritime disputes, trade and investment issues, agriculture and food security, and income disparity and social inequality.

◦ Having livable cities and eradicating corruptions are two scenarios which, to the minds of the survey respondents and FGD participants, are difficult to achieve.

17

Summary of findings◦ ASEAN Secretariat should beef up its capacity.

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56.75 50.68 58.33 59.26 58.27 55.33 58.89 60.6647.92 52.83 62.16

39.45 41.139.81 37.96 38.85 40 37.78 37.7

45.83 41.5135.14

3.115.48

1.85 2.78 2.88 3.33 2.22 1.64 6.25 5.66 00.35 1.37 0 0 0 0.67 1.11 0 0 0 00.35 1.37 0 0 0 0.67 0 0 0 0 2.7

0102030405060708090

100

On

up

rad

ing

ASE

AN

Sec

reta

riat

's

cap

abili

ty (

%)

Strongly agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly disagree

Upgrading the Capability of the ASEAN Secretariat

Some recommendations 1. Have more dynamic and targeted communication and outreach

activities◦ Increase media coverage (TV, radio, and print) of ASEAN.

◦ Partner with professional media organizations.

◦ Maximize the use of social media to reach young people.

◦ Tap student organizations as channels to educate young people about ASEAN.

◦ Continue with activities for the youth like scholarships, exchange programs, and leadership programs.

◦ Celebrate the ASEAN Day in public schools every year (like the UN Day).

◦ Consider making it mandatory to have the ASEAN flag in schools (public and private) and government offices.

◦ Encourage the singing of the ASEAN anthem “The ASEAN Way” in schools and government offices.

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Some recommendations 2. Maximize schools as avenues to promote deeper understanding of ASEAN among the youth, educators, and other stakeholders.

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Filipino students’ basic knowledge of ASEAN (2007 and 2014)

Source: Thompson et al. 2014. Do Young People Know ASEAN? Singapore: ISEAS.

Some recommendations ◦ Use school textbooks to educate young people not just about ASEAN’s history but also

about its programs, the integration agenda, and how the Association has impacted the lives of its peoples. (Highlight the gains from ASEAN)

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1.9 2.7 0.73.3 2.7 1.05.6 8.2 8.3 5.7 2.7

6.2

40.0

31.1

56.3

45.3

35.141.2

54.4 57.4

35.4

47.2

56.850.9

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

Government Academe Business CSO/NGO Others TOTAL

On

usi

ng

text

bo

oks

to

pro

mo

te

ASE

AN

(%

)

Strongly Disagree Disagree Neutral Agree Strongly Agree

Perception on using textbooks to promote ASEAN

◦ “Encourage use of the ASEAN Curriculum Sourcebook—not just in schools but as a resource for educators at any level—to discuss relevant aspects of ASEAN integration.” (Thompson et al. 2014).

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Examples of current initiatives on ASEAN awareness raising (in line with the Philippines’ chairmanship)

Some recommendations 3. For the Philippines: Continue ASEAN community awareness campaigns in schools and government offices beyond 2017. Make these a regular activity. Do the same for local governments and other entities all over the country.

◦ Close coordination and partnership among relevant government agencies, such as:

- Department of Foreign Affairs – Office of ASEAN Affairs (lead agency)

- Presidential Communications Operations Office – Philippine Information Agency

- Department of Education

- Commission on Higher Education

- Civil Service Commission

- Department of the Interior and Local Government

- Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines (umbrella organization of all local government leagues and their elected officials)

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Some recommendations 4. Maximize platforms for civil society engagement, business sector participation, and youth participation to promote greater interface between ASEAN and its stakeholders and to encourage broad-based support for the Association.

o E.g., CSOs: ASEAN People’s Assembly, Regional Consultation on ASEAN and Human Rights, ASEAN Civil Society Conference/ASEAN Peoples Forum, and ASEAN Disability Forum; business: those spearheaded by the ASEAN Business Advisory Council and the Department of Trade and Industry

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Philippine Institute for Development StudiesSurian sa mga pag-aaral Pangkaunlaran ng Pilipinas

Service through policy research

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