Abigail Viguella (Sun Star)
AS PART the Philippine chairmanship of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) summit this year, the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) in Northern Mindanao held an Asean Multi-sectoral forum among concerned community stakeholders at Mallberry Suites business hotel on Wednesday, May 10.
With the aim of highlighting the importance of the Asean to the modern Filipino society, PIA-Northern Mindanao gathered representatives from the region’s academe, business sector, private sector, law enforcement, and media in an information forum.
This forum was made as part of the information drive project of the Philippine Information Agency in celebration of the 50th year of the Asean.
One of the major discussions was the AmBisyon 2040. Director Leon Dacanay, Jr. of the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) in Northern Mindanao said that this is a vision statement that was gathered among Filipinos in all parts of the country to determine what the country’s citizens envision Filipino life is in the year 2040.
“This is not a plan. This is rather a vision. We asked Filipinos what they want in life for the next 25 years and formed it into the AmBisyon 2040. As we have seen in our presentation,most people want to have a better life not only for themselves but also, largely for their families,” Dacanay said.
In the presentation by the PIA, majority of Filipinos all over the country have shown aspirations that are mostly family centered. Some of these include being financially stable enough to have enough for everyday needs, emergencies, and the future of their family members.
With this, Dacanay said that government agencies are working on the proposed Philippine Development Plan (PDP), which will be rooted on strategies that will allow all Filipinos to have equal access to health, education, emergency aid, housing and other necessities.
“Of course, the PDP will be devised according to the individual Regional Development Plans (RDP) of each area of the country,” Dacanay said.
The forum also explained the recently concluded Asean Summit last April 26 to 29 and of its origins and thrust. With the PIA’s Asean Multi-sectoral forum, community stakeholders will be expected to understand how the Asean can help in achieving the PDP.
In relation to this, PIA-Northern Mindanao also launched their first Asean Information Kiosk in the region in the arrival area of the Laguindingan Airport last May 9.
The kiosk will contain materials about the Asean, its history and priorities, and also information-education-and-communication (IEC) materials of member countries in the form of pamphlets.
“The information kiosk is one platform adopted by the PIA in disseminating pieces of information not only about the ASEAN but other government programs and projects as well,” said Franklin Gumapon, the PIA Northern Mindanao officer-in-charge.
The materials in the kiosk are free and anybody can pick and read them. PIA has already set-up the Asean information kiosks in key strategic areas nationwide to raise awareness and appreciation of the Asean.