PH not ready for ASEAN integration, but Filipinos are – PMAP

MANILA – The People Management Association of the Philippines (PMAP) on Wednesday said the Philippines may not yet be ready for ASEAN integration in 2015, but Filipino workers are.

PMAP President Josephus Jimenez said Filipino workers are more competitive than workers of other ASEAN countries.

But Jimenez said Filipino workers need a lift in terms of character building, behavior and values formation.

According to Jimenez, ASEAN integration should not be taken as a deadline but more a process or journey that Filipinos must not be afraid of.

PMAP executive director Rene Gener said under ASEAN integration, the key to succeeding and competing will be “better products, faster produced products and cheaper products.”

The group said the Philippines may have a problem due to its inadequate infrastructure, corruption, inefficient government bureaucracy, tax regulation and restrictive labor laws, which are the same observations raised by a study conducted by the World Economic Forum.

Jimenez said vulnerable sectors in the integration include agriculture, micro-small-medium enterprises, food manufacturing and even information technology.

Sectors where the Philippines has a fair chance of winning include tourism, electronics, business process outsourcing, education and services. –Alvin Elchico, ABS-CBN News