AS 212 Students | AS 212 [Regionalism and Community Building in Asia] WZ2 Class

Posted on January 2, 2025

The AS 212 Group, composed of King, John Paul, Karel, Niki, and Klariza, led by Prof. Joefe, went to Jakarta, Indonesia, from October 31 to November 2, 2024, to learn more about regionalism and understand community-building better by visiting no less than the headquarters of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the Philippine Permanent Mission to the ASEAN.

Figure 1. The group with the officers of the ASEAN Secretariat at the conclusion of the roundtable discussions.
Figure 2. Showcasing ASEAN publications after touring the ASEAN Headquarters, Gallery, and Gift Shop.
Figure 3. Kwentuhan session served with Filipino and Indonesian merienda at the Philippine Mission to the ASEAN.
Figure 4. The group with Chargé d’Affaires Elizabeth T. Te and officers of the Philippine Mission to the ASEAN.

The field activity supplemented well the classes held on the topics of regionalism and community-building at the international level. The group was able to learn first-hand the experiences of the people working to sustain these organizations and the dynamics involved in keeping multilateral initiatives moving forward amidst the diversity of the sovereign nations involved.

Figure 5. The AS 212 Group from left: John Paul Perez, Klariza Salas, Nicollete Gamara, Prof. Joefe Santarita, Karel Ingelheim Mendoza, and King Dranreb Barchita at the ASEAN Headquarters in Jakarta, Indonesia.

It was also an opportunity for the group to understand better that there is so much work being done behind the smiles and handshakes among heads of state, heads of government, and government officials that are published in the media for every activity and engagement of the ASEAN and the Philippine Permanent Mission to the ASEAN. All these work aims to promote each country’s national interests and, at the same time, preserve and uphold the regional interests of Southeast Asia as a whole.