MANILA, Philippines — The first thing that catches one’s attention when visiting the ASEAN Headquarters in South Jakarta is the commanding presence of a painting depicting the iconic signing of the Bangkok Declaration. A young Filipino artist, Peter Paul Blanco, was commissioned by the Committee of Permanent Representatives to paint a tribute to the Founding Fathers to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of ASEAN in 2017.
The translation into canvas by Blanco of this momentous event records the visionary decision taken by the five Founding Fathers of ASEAN to bind their people together to a common destiny, a common hope to emerge from their dismal, conflict-ridden state to become today one of the most successful regional organizations in the world.
Filipinos were part of the original ASEAN project; they are today the beneficiaries of the association’s many successes, enhancing their competitiveness in many fields and bringing out the best of what they have to offer to the world. It has also offered them an opportunity to carve out a common identity with the rest of ASEAN to battle the challenges confronting them.
For a long time, people from the Southeast Asian region have identified more with their colonial masters than with each other, prompting the former Thai Foreign Minister Thanat Khoman to complain that these countries were like cloisons etanches (airtight containers), looking more to their former colonizers, than to each other, in searching their identity. Membership in ASEAN has changed all that. Today, the Filipino can boast of an identity that celebrates unity in diversity, the famous battle cry of ASEAN, signifying that people in the region can live in peace and harmony despite the differences among them. It has also enabled us to chart a common identity with the rest of ASEAN Member States (AMS). When Filipinos find a common identity with the rest of ASEAN, it does not mean that we should all have similar characteristics and ways of doing things. It means that we Filipinos have a shared dream with the rest of them, of living in peace and stability, enjoying economic prosperity and providing our people dignity, social protection and the means to face up to our common challenges.
Despite the huge differences in language, religion, system of government, culture and level of economic development among us, commonalities abound as seen in the cultivation of rice as a common crop among the AMS. The ASEAN emblem depicted in the ASEAN flag, with 10 rice stalks held fast together in the middle, is symbolic of the importance of rice in ASEAN. The many ways of cooking rice and the many names given to different varieties of rice in all member states make rice the most common staple food in the region.
It would be interesting to visit the different countries of ASEAN to find our how else we are different from one another and yet alike in many ways.
Filipinos’ competitiveness and talents are also getting recognized as members of the ASEAN community. It would be impossible to name them all in this article but let me mention just a few recent awardees:
Linda Uy-Koe is the first-ever recipient of the prestigious ASEAN Award for her work in helping people with autism. The award also is touted to be the Nobel Prize of ASEAN. Timothy Henares from De La Salle University was the winner of the Most Diplomatic Minister under the ASEAN Political – Security Community Award, 4th ASEAN Foundation Model ASEAN Meeting 2018.
Troy Valdehueza, student at the Central Mindanao University Laboratory High School was the first winner of the fourth ASEAN Youth Video Contest 2018.
Colleen Anne Chua and Neal Amandus Gellaco, both from the University of the Philippines, got respectively the “Best Speaker” prizes in the debates on why human rights education should be made compulsory in school curriculum by all AMS; and why children of migrant workers should be entitled to the right to education.
Prof. Angel Alcala of Silliman University was named one of the ASEAN Heroes of Biodiversity in 2017 for championing coastal resource management and terrestrial biodiversity conservation, was named one of the Biodiversity Heroes of ASEAN in 2017.
Edukasyon.ph (CEO and founder Henry Motte-Muñoz) was recognized as one of the ASEAN Youth Social Enterpreneur Awardees in 2017.
Dr. Sailila Abdulla Doc Sai who specializes in plant breeding and molecular biology/biotechnology and Nemencio Concepcion with his integrated farming approach won the Rice Science and Technology Ambassador of ASEAN awards in 2017.
The Philippines won eight out of 20 categories at the 2018 ASEAN Business Awards. Jollibee Foods Corp., Wilcon Depot, Inc., Century Pacific Food, Inc., the Center for Agriculture and Rural Development (CARD), Inc., Seaoil Philippines, Inc. were among the awardees.
And, of course, Peter Paul Blanco, whose work is immortalized at the ASEAN Gallery is just one of the many reasons why the Filipino is a better Community citizen when he identifies with ASEAN. - Ambassador Elizabeth Buensuceso
* * *
Ambassador Elizabeth Buensuceso was the former Permanent Representative of the Philippines to ASEAN. She was awarded the Presidential Grand Cross Gawad Mabini, order of Kamanong, rank of Commander.