The Philippines is also a member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), a regional bloc that recently commemorated its 54th anniversary. To complicate matters, the Philippine claims are also contested by fellow Asean members, namely Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei. Recently, Asean Secretary General Lim Jock Hoi said the bloc needed to be more proactive in resolving these disputes. On top of that, several Asean members are also dealing with serious internal problems. Finally, Covid-19 has disrupted the economic linkages that Asean has been working to develop over the past five decades.

Source: Manila Times August 15, 2021 15:22 UTC