Celebrating the Asean Charter

If the biggest news in the world today is the financial crisis sparked by the West led by the US, its counterpoint in the East is how Asia under the aegis of ASEAN plus 3 will gather force. The thrust of that force is to achieve the Asian century. There will be initial difficulties brought about by the crisis but these can be overcome if Asians stick to that goal.

The brightest spots in the region — China, Singapore and Malaysia — has proved that their brands of authoritarian capitalism have brought wealth and lifted the lives of millions of people.

Robert Reich writes on the competition between authoritarian capitalism and democratic capitalism: “Authoritarian capitalism works wonders if all you care about is getting ahead economically... Never before in history have so many people gained economic ground so fast as in China over the last two decades. But if you’re someone with a grievance, or you want to criticize those in power, or you’re a Tibetan or ethnic minority, or you happen to like clean air, you’re out of luck.

Democratic capitalism should win in the end because it responds far better to what people want — not only as consumers but also as citizens. Yet right now the outcome of the competition doesn’t seem so clear. The Chinese economy is booming while we’re in deep trouble. Eighty percent of Chinese are optimistic about the future but only 20 percent of Americans say this nation is on the right track. And most Americans tell pollsters they don’t trust politicians and believe our government is run by big corporations and the rich. This was written before the crisis but it remains true that China, Singapore, and Malaysia adopted capitalism suitable to their political culture and succeeded. We could adopt a similar model and adjust it as we plod along. I’d call that smart capitalism and its principal characteristics are flexibility and innovation.

Unfortunately, the Philippines did not follow the same path in the crucial years after Marcos and there are many reasons for this. Charter change would create a more suitable environment for initiating and sustaining reforms. But that is another story.

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What is important is what we do now. All is not lost. With the Philippines firmly in The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), it can benefit and learn from its neighbors.

Filipinos ought to celebrate the recent signing of the Asean charter and hew close to policies that strengthen the region. With the signing of the charter, Asean is now a legal entity and ready to develop and look to a future of a single free trade area by 2015 in a region of 500 million people.

Asean Secretary-General Surin Pitsuwan said at the signing ‘’Regional co-operation and economic integration to build the Asean community will actually shift into higher gear after the entry into force of the Asean Charter today.’’

There are still kinks like the creation of a human rights body but this will be tackled by the members in, for and by the region and not by former colonizers. The first draft of its terms of reference was written last July. A recent study hailed this emerging Asian regionalism. “We are witnessing the beginnings of a strong, prosperous, outward-looking Asian economic community, regionally integrated yet connected with global markets, and with responsibility and influence to match its economic weight.”

This emerging Asian regionalism is a powerful historic force with the region cooperating with the rest of the world. In all this, the Philippines should not be left behind or tarred as an American Trojan horse. It must do everything possible to be part of the region’s shared prosperity.

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For me, the story of former First Lady, Ming Ramos is the triumph of the ‘ordinary.’ That is the paradox. Whereas other partners of leaders project themselves as extraordinary, Ming only wanted to be herself and do things she would do even if she was not First Lady. As she said she preferred to water the plants.

I only wish that her biography were published in an ordinary-sized book instead of an unwieldy coffee-book which is difficult to read in bed. Having said that, if there is no way to know more about a First Lady worth emulating, just get the book and read it sitting down I am surprised how ingeniously enemies of charter change interpreted Mrs. Ramos’ comments on how the advocacy of charter change affected her. Don’t they understand she was hurt by attacks on her husband’s character, painting him as a dictator like cousin Marcos. Unfortunately, neither she or FVR went further than to deny these charges.

Indeed, FVR succumbed to pressures from enemies of charter change led by Cardinal Sin and Cory Aquino and discouraged all those who would have wanted him to continue his program of government for the sake of the country. I know more than most why he retreated from a bruising fight. But had the Philippines succeeded then to make a real shift from presidential to parliamentary form of government, Ramos would have been able to continue his program of government and put the Philippines on the same path as Singapore and Malaysia.

The funniest report quotes “Ming Ramos as saying opposing Charter change was not bad. “What? Did they have to distort the meaning of how the Philippines lost an opportunity as “something not bad”. The trouble was the enemies of charter change then (and now) did not merely oppose, they made sure that FVR would have been shamed and humiliated if he supported advocates of charter change even if he knew this was the right direction for the country.

With the hindsight of mistakes by the Marcos regime, he could have designed an authoritarian but more humane capitalism. “They painted my husband like he was the worst person on Earth” she said. Nothing new. They’re also doing that to the incumbent president for supporting Charter change.

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To all my readers, Merry Christmas, peace on earth and goodwill to men.