21 October 2013 – The Department of Foreign Affairs’ Office of ASEAN Affairs (DFA-ASEAN) hosted the 2nd International Conference on ASEAN Community Building from October 16 to 18 at the Traders Hotel in Manila.
The conference aimed at strengthening the capabilities of Philippine government agencies and enhancing their collaborative capacities in working toward the realization of the ASEAN Community.
Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Evan P. Garcia delivered the opening remarks to over 90 participants from over 42 government agencies, government-controlled corporations, and representatives from the ASEAN Embassies in Manila who were invited to take part in the three-day conference. The Undersecretary said that while ASEAN Leaders set the policies and directions of ASEAN, the Ministerial Sectoral Bodies comprised of the various government agencies implement these policies and directions. They have the important task of laying the foundation and being the driving force behind ASEAN’s community-building efforts.
Assistant Director for Strategic Planning and Coordination Lee Chen Chen and Senior Officer Joel Atienza of the 
ASEAN Secretariat in Jakarta provided briefs on current development cooperation projects and the ASEAN Project Appraisal and Management Cycle. Representatives from the Jakarta-based Missions of Australia, China, Republic of Korea, and the European Union spoke on various funding structures managed by these four (4) Dialogue Partners.
Undersecretary Garcia emphasized that one of the aims of the Conference was to hone the participants’ project management and project proposal skills. He added that the meeting would also update the participants on international resources and funding sources available for ASEAN Community-Building, ASEAN Connectivity, and Narrowing the Development Gap programs, which are provided by ASEAN’s Dialogue Partners and other international organizations. He urged the participants to take on the ASEAN challenge of community building, noting that the “baton was being passed on to their generation.”
ASEAN hopes to establish an integrated Community by 2015. END
