Essay Answers: ASEAN Youth Summit 2015

Why do you want to participate in the ASEAN Youth Summit 2015?

• “ASEAN Integration" has been the buzzword for the longest time now. Two years ago, my professor showed a video detailing a prediction on the 2015 ASEAN integration, wherein by that year, the ten member ASEAN countries will become a single market. The prediction seemed unrealistic, and the thought of looking at this region as one country once did not come across as feasible, knowing that diversity of policies, incentives, and tariff barriers can become a roadblock to this initiative. However, my country has also slowly been adjusting itself to meet this vision's needs. One way by which the country has been improving is seen through its efforts in trying to achieve the UN's eight Millennium Development Goals. I have personally witnessed how these efforts by institutions, organizations, and volunteers (fellow students, teachers, staff) have changed communities and lives for the better. Initiatives like these have also encouraged students like myself to be socially responsible, active, vigilant, and involved. I would like to participate in the ASEAN Youth Summit 2015 because I want to learn, participate, and share my ideas or react on current ASEAN-related issues. I know that this event will be an avenue for networking and collaboration; and as such, I would like to meet and learn from individuals who share the same vision of a better ASEAN.

What does it take to be an ASEAN student leader?

• It takes courage, humility, honesty, hard work, and good sportsmanship to be a good ASEAN student leader. While research and involvement are necessary, people relation is what counts as very important. In times of challenges and difficult situations, a strong leader is one who can stand up for a group of people, lead a group to a direction, help find solutions, and listen well while maintaining said qualities. It goes without saying that a good leader is one whom people can look up to and follow.

What is an observable and relevant youth issue in your country or in other ASEAN nations that needs to be addressed and resolved? Why?

- The issues of poverty and the unavailability of education in many regions and sectors in my country, remain two of the most pressing and observable issues that have to be resolved right away for reasons that cannot be ignored: (1) a considerable sector of the Philippine population still lies below the poverty line, (2) children grow up fast, and (3) these people, especially women and children, often become victims of abuse.

Two days ago inside the train, I overheard an old woman verbally assaulting a pregnant young mom who was carrying a really thin baby and was with another daughter beside her. The old woman rebuked the young mom for being too naive and susceptible, consequently putting the latter in such an embarrassing situation inside the train among other passengers. This issues of poverty, of teenage pregnancy, and of inaccessible education, are youth issues that are unfortunately common in my country today.

Daily, I see impoverished children and families outside the gates of my university and along the sidewalk. It is a disturbing reality that outside the gates of the university, there exists people who grow up unlearned and unknowing of how much better a life could be. On the contrary, I have met students inside the university who take their privileges for granted. Poverty is an issue which I think should not affect an individual's right to education. While public schools are there to address this issue in some areas, I am aware that some of these schools lack teachers and funding by the government, and some provinces do not yet have any of these.