PH Consulate General in Sydney Celebrates ASEAN Day with Talk on “What the ASEAN Economic Community Means for the Philippines”
(Left photo) Consul General Louis presents a certificate of appreciation to Dr. Alday with Consul Marford Angeles. (Right photo) Consul General Louis and Dr. Alday with Consul Angeles and Ms. Reggie Perol and Filipino community members who were each presented with a Commemorative ASEAN Peso for taking an active part in the discussions.
11 September 2017, Sydney – In commemoration of the 50th Founding Anniversary of ASEAN and the Philippine Chairmanship of ASEAN this year, the Philippine Consulate General in Sydney organized a lecture entitled, “What the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) Means for the Philippines,” by Dr. Sandra Seno-Alday of the University of Sydney Business School. Dr. Alday lectures on International Business and in international risk management and is an Executive Member of the Sydney Southeast Asia Centre (SSEAC) at the University of Sydney. She is a Guest Editor of the Journal of Risk Research (JRR), current President of the Society for Risk Analysis Australia and New Zealand (SRA ANZ), and a member of the Standards Australia committee on risk management.
Dr. Alday discussed how ASEAN evolved from a group of nations united by common goals into an association that seeks regional integration through the ASEAN Economic Community. She also presented the results of her study, which examined how the ASEAN member countries formed dense intra-trade networks (in goods) networks over the course of ASEAN’s history. The attendees took active part in the Q and A session after the lecture, asking how the Philippines compares with its neighboring ASEAN economies and what the Philippines should do to remain competitive and to take advantage of the opportunities that the AEC’s greater regional economic integration offers.
In welcoming the more than 60 participants comprising Filipino community leaders and Filipino international students in New South Wales, Consul General Anne Jalando-on Louis emphasized the significance of the Philippine Chairmanship of ASEAN during its 50th Founding Anniversary. Consul General Louis also noted the important role of the Overseas Filipino community in promoting awareness and understanding of ASEAN and the relevance of the association not only to the member-countries but to the rest of the world.
After the lecture, Consul General Louis presented a certificate of appreciation to Dr. Alday for her enlightening presentation which clearly explained the benefits that the Philippines derives from the AEC as well as the opportunities and challenges facing the Philippines and the other ASEAN economies. Consul General Louis also presented ASEAN Commemorative Philippine Peso coins to members of the audience who took part in the discussions after Dr. Seno-Alday’s presentation.
This lecture is part of the activities organized by the Consulate this year to commemorate the 50 years of ASEAN and the Philippine Chairmanship in 2017 other activities include information dissemination through Filipino community radio programs, dissemination of ASEAN information kits and visuals to Filipino community tri-media members, and an ASEAN Bowling Tournament for the officers, staff and family members of ASEAN Consulates in Sydney. END