Gallardo, Chloe E.

BSBA – HRM TH101

“Alam nyo ba sa lahat nitong pag-iisip ng pagsama-sama ng mga bayan sa Southeast Asia

(SEA), Pilipinas ang bida,” stated by Ambassador Rosario Manalo on her speech during the Master

Lecture held last Thursday in Benilde. She emphasized the fact that the Philippines was always at

the forefront of all the organizations that was established in SEA because they saw the need for

cooperation amongst the Southeast Asian nations. But primarily, her speech revolved around

how the organization became ASEAN notwithstanding all the former organizations that were

established first.

After the World War II, Elpidio Quirino envisioned this organization called The Pacific

Union which did not take off because the Cold War started creeping. And by that time United

States established the Southeast Asia Treaty Organization (SEATO) which was a military/defense

organization which was joined only by Thailand and Philippines, so it did not work.

Afterwards, Philippines proposed this organization which was known as Association of

Southeast Asia (ASA) which was composed by 3 countries – Philippines, Malaysia, and Thailand.

It was envisioned to bring about cooperation for economic growth because they believed that

with economic growth there will be stability and with stability they will progress as a nation. It

was all about cooperation and not a matter of military action. But eventually, these 3 states could

not stand by themselves so then we had the Greater Malayan Confederation or Maphilindo

(Malaysia, Philippines and Indonesia).

Maphilindo, however, also did not prosper and was dismantled a month later because of

the bilateral wrangles of other countries in SEA. Indonesia had a Konfrontasi with Malaysia,
Singapore began to secede from Malaysia hence, all these problems did not allow Maphilindo to

work.

Eventually, in August 8, 1968, 5-member states founded the Association for Southeast

Asian Nations (ASEAN) – namely, Indonesia, Singapore, Philippines, Malaysia and Thailand. This

organization was made successful by developing the ASEAN declaration stating the aspirations of

these various countries to be achieved for their own welfare. The organization promotes

intergovernmental cooperation and facilitates economic, political, security, military, educational

and sociocultural integration among its members.

The ASEAN expanded in 1984 when Brunei joined. At the end of the cold war, by 1991,

the 10-member states found it necessary to have a legal instrument to bind them and to ensure

the compliance of each state on all the agreements they have formed. And that time, Philippines

was the chairperson of ASEAN and so led by Ambassador Manalo, they devised the ASEAN

Charter.

Then Vietnam joined in 1995 making them the seventh member. Two years later (1997),

Laos and Myanmar joined, Cambodia could have joined at the same time with Laos and Myanmar,

but its entry was delayed due to the country’s internal political struggle. They formally became a

member only on 1999 when the stabilization of its government was attained.

ASEAN benefitted and is still benefitting its member states in many aspects – it opens way

to international relations, states have trading partners in education, food, products and many

more. Currently, they are building a free-trade area by establishing preferential trading

arrangements which is the most concrete thing we have right now with respect to economic
cooperation. The aspect of political security is also being constantly discussed in the meetings of

diplomats and people in the political science and in the armed forces wherein they exchange

views concerning security discussions like the issue regarding the South China Sea.

With all the advancements and downfalls of the former and current organizations in

Southeast Asia, Philippines stood still, close to its neighboring countries in the SEA and so as much

as the organization benefits us, we should also take turns on ensuring its prosperity as future

leaders of our own country.