Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Judy M. Taguiwalo today spoke at the 16th ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC) Council Meeting in  Vientiane, Lao PDR. She delivered the Philippine country statement and shared the Philippine government’s views and stands on the actions and programs of the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community.

Sec. Taguiwalo said that the Philippine government welcomes its upcoming Chairpersonship of the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community, especially in the helm of the new administration of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte.  She said that the Philippines has a number of priorities that it hopes to carry out next year.

“We want to intensify efforts towards a people-oriented, people-centered ASEAN, and to ensure this, we will do the following:

1. Ensure recognition, promotion and protection of the rights of migrant workers
2. Ensure recognition, promotion and protection of the rights of the vulnerable sectors – women, children, persons with disabilities, older persons, internally displaced persons, indigenous peoples, among others.
3. Further promote appreciation of cultural heritage and strengthening the ASEAN cultural identity
4. Intensify access to healthcare and improved nutrition
5. Promote the role of the civil service as catalyst for achieving ASEAN Vision 2025,” she said.

Also, to strengthen ASEAN’s resilience, in consideration of the intensity of natural and human-induced disasters that ASEAN is experiencing now, Sec. Taguiwalo said that the Philippines will exercise efforts to  further ensure environmental protection; carry out climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction and mitigation (DRRM) related-activities; and intensify protection of our biodiversity, thru the programs, projects and activities of our ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity (ACB).

“We eagerly look forward to the Philippine’s hosting of ASEAN in 2017, especially that it coincides with the 50th or golden anniversary of ASEAN,” she said.

Meanwhile, in the area of children’s rights, Sec. Taguiwalo said that the Philippine government  supports the ASEAN Children’s Forum as one of the key mechanisms that drives children’s participation in ASEAN.

“We appreciate the children’s active participation in the 4th ASEAN Children’s Forum held last June in Hanoi, Vietnam and we anticipate that the ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Social Welfare and Development (AMMSWD) will ensure that the children’s recommendations will be endorsed to and acted upon by concerned sectoral bodies,” she said.

She also welcomed the decision of the ASEAN Labor Ministers to conclude an ASEAN instrument on the promotion and protection of the rights of migrant workers in April 2017.

“We hope that more dialogue with stakeholders will take place in the future, especially at the national level, to ensure their participation in the crafting and implementation of declarations and instruments.  After all, meanigful and effective participation of stakeholders is and should be integral in building a people-oriented and people-centered ASEAN,” she said.

In the meantime, Sec. Taguiwalo expressed the Philippines’ support for other efforts of the ASCC such as the Vientiane Declaration on Transition from Informal Employment to Formal Employment towards Decent Work Promotion in the ASEAN.

“We envision that the Declaration will contribute to the attainment of decent work for all. Decent work in its essence, as defined by the International Labour Organization (ILO), involves opportunities for work that is productive and delivers a fair income, security in the workplace and social protection for families, better prospects for personal development and social integration, freedom for people to express their concerns, organize and participate in the decisions that affect their lives and equality of opportunity and treatment for all women and men,” she said.

The Secretary also lauded the ASEAN Declaration on Strengthening Education for Out-of-School Children and Youth.

“This addresses the issue of the ASEAN to reduce barriers, especially for the vulnerable and marginalized groups. Education for out of school children and youth is an important measure in ensuring a brighter future for our countries.  We appreciate Thailand’s leadership in sponsoring the formulation of the Declaration, and in considering the recommendation of the Philippines to include out-of-school youth in the Declaration,” she said.

Regarding the ASEAN Declaration on One ASEAN One Response: ASEAN Responding to Disasters as One in the Region and Outside the Region, Sec. Taguiwalo in the meantime said that the signing of the said declaration is a   crucial step in unifying efforts to address  disaster-related challenges.

“We support the importance of harnessing our collective strengths and responding as One ASEAN to address disasters inside and outside the region more effectively. The Philippines will continue to be committed to this endeavor,” she said.

Sec. Taguiwalo also said that the Philippines recognizes the Vientiane Declaration on Reinforcing Cultural Heritage Cooperation in ASEAN.

“We see the importance of adopting the Vientiane Declaration on Reinforcing Cultural Heritage Cooperation in ASEAN. Embarking towards an ASEAN Community can never materialize without the deepening appreciation of the cultural and traditional diversity amongst the Member States. We support the need to protect, develop and promote our diverse and rich tangible and intangible cultural heritage thru heritage management programs for the benefit of our future generations. We support the need to highlight our common cultural traits as a means to forge solidarity and cooperation among our peoples,” she said.

Sec. Taguiwalo emphasized that Southeast Asia is home to at least a third of the world’s 300 million indigenous population.

“Given this,  it is important that we should take steps to recognize their identities and rights as indigenous peoples who contribute largely to the rich cultural heritage and diversity of the region and are among the most vulnerable sectors in the region which the ASEAN committed itself to protect.  This will strengthen our commitment to the implementation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), which all the ASEAN Member States voted in favor to adopt in 2007,” she said. #