The ASEAN Community Day will be in connection with the region-wide celebration for this landmark achievement.
Decades after the concept was first proposed, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) leaders have taken a huge step to establish ASEAN Community that is politically cohesive, economically integrated, and socially responsible.
The launching of the ASEAN Community on 31 December 2015 as agreed upon by the ASEAN Leaders during the 27th ASEAN Summit held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia is a landmark achievement for the region. This formally recognizes the establishment of a unified ASEAN community that strives to effectively respond to current and future challenges and take advantage of opportunities as a region.
To commemorate this important milestone, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), through its Office of ASEAN Affairs, and the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), in cooperation with the National Parks Development Committee (NPDC), Municipality Government of Angono and the Department of Education, will hold the ASEAN Community Day celebration on 22 January 2016, Friday, 4 p.m., at the Rizal Park Open Air Auditorium in Manila. Both agencies are part of the ASEAN Committee on Culture and Information (ASEAN-COCI), which is mandated to spread ASEAN awareness and promote ASEAN identity.
Gearing up for its chairmanship which coincides with the 50th founding anniversary of ASEAN, the Philippines hopes to intensify and consolidate its efforts by undertaking initiatives and activities to bring ASEAN into the consciousness of its peoples.
Through this cultural event, the Philippines aims to spread awareness among its peoples on what ASEAN Community 2015 is all about and how it will benefit them, as well as promote ASEAN identity.
The Philippine event will be in connection with the region-wide celebration for this landmark achievement. The cultural program will kick off with a parade around the park, led by ‘ASEAN Higantes’, and participated by students and people from all sectors, followed by commemorative speeches, performances, video presentations, and a countdown leading to a spectacular fireworks display.
NCCA Chairman Felipe M. de Leon Jr. and NPDC Executive Director Elizabeth H. Espino will both give their opening remarks, while DFA Secretary Albert del Rosario will deliver the keynote address. Gracing the event will be the Ambassadors of the AMS and the Dialogue Partners of ASEAN in the Philippines, representatives from various line agencies, and ASEAN-related organizations.
With the signing of the Kuala Lumpur Declaration on ASEAN 2025: Forging Ahead Together, the ASEAN Member States have pledged their commitments to intensify the promotion of ASEAN and the integration and community-building in the region. The AMS Leaders promised to mobilize their resources to implement the goals and activities under the three community blueprints – Economic (AEC), Political-Security (APSC), Socio-Cultural (ASCC)–which will guide the further integration of the ASEAN Community.
