Rappler's latest stories on AEC
PH to institutionalize business lessons from ASEAN neighbors
Proposed new laws such as the Ease of Doing Business Act aim to put some of the practices learned from successful neighbors like Singapore into law

ASEAN ministers to raise flag vs protectionism
Yes [we are] against protectionism Any move to reverse the track towards globalization it will be hard Integration should push through so trading as well as flow of goods and services will be easier Philippine Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez says

Balancing profit with inclusivity key to keeping ASEAN together
ASEAN Business advisory council chairman Joey Concepcion explains the formula for empowering small entrepreneurs around the region and why it is important to do so

ASEAN at 50: Golden year or mid-life crisis?
Amid hits and misses ASEAN is still necessary as the issues the region is facing are so huge that no single country could deal with them alone

3 reasons for Canada's renewed interest in Southeast Asia
There is geopolitical significance in what happens within the ASEAN The security profile in the region is significant to Canada says Ambassador Maria Louise Hannan first ever Canadian envoy dedicated to ASEAN

Growing middle class, ASEAN links boost PH investment prospects
HSBC Philippines chief sees greater UK investor interest in the country while the head of the Philippines’ oldest conglomerate sees the ASEAN market and its growing middle class pulling in more foreign investors

Mitsubishi to invest P4.3B to build Mirage models in PH
The move allows Mitsubishi to join the CARS Program says its global chairman who met with President Aquino in Manila

Hadapi MEA, pemerintah latih 700 ribu lebih tenaga kerja
Pemerintah serius menyiapkan angkatan kerja agar mampu memimpin persaingan di MEA

Business in PH: The winners and losers in 2015
With big ticket events like the visit of Pope Francis and the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation APEC summit there were business sectors that gained and lost in 2015

David SyCip: The visionary ideas behind ASEAN integration
UPDATED A look at the ideas that influenced the creation of the ASEAN single market through the thoughts and writings of local visionary David SyCip

ASEAN leaders launch single market community
ASEAN chairman Malaysian PM Najib Razak says: We now have to ensure that we create a truly single market and production base with freer movement of goods and services

ASEAN integration: PH energy sector OK, sugarcane industry in trouble
The energy sector stands to benefit from the integration while the sugarcane industry is seen to be adversely affected a former energy undersecretary and lawyer says
Neighbors catching up with PH as ASEAN integration looms
Countries like Vietnam are rapidly catching up with the Philippines which needs to strengthen its manufacturing and its banks as competition for investment intensifies

What will sustain PH momentum come ASEAN integration?
To sustain its economic momentum the Philippines will have to address low productivity a problem that plagues most Southeast Asian countries says McKinsey Company s Oliver Tonby
Policymakers urged to help SMEs enter global value chains
The entry of more SMEs into global production chains can help develop competitive sectors throughout ASEAN the Asian Development Bank says

Maybank draws top millennial talent for battle of wits
UPDATED 3 from UP two from De La Salle University and one from Ateneo De Manila University will represent the country in the global finals of 2015 Maybank Go Ahead Challenge in Kuala Lumpur next month

ASEAN opens up half the world to PH trade
ASEAN through its Free Trade Agreements with regional powers gives the country the chance to trade to half the world at little to no tariffs

Rappler, AIM team up to raise awareness on ASEAN integration
Rappler and AIM will work on a series of stories to explain to readers how ASEAN integration will affect them

Is Nanay Tess' bagoong ready for ASEAN integration?
Will a borderless economic community by yearend hurt or benefit microenterprises in the Philippines like Nanay Tess bagoong business?

Aquino: PH still mulling AIIB invitation
President Benigno Aquino III says the country s bad experience with the Northrail project and its territorial dispute with China have made him think twice about joining the China led Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank

AEC 2015: Will PH firms be market disruptors?
Businessmen analysts and senior government officials weigh in on how the Philippines will fare once the ASEAN Economic Community comes into force in December and the challenges it has to address now

Forbes launches Forbes Philippines
The local edition aims to use its long working cycles to dig deeper into the entrepreneurial aspect of Philippine business

China's island-building to loom large at SE Asia summit
ASEAN states Vietnam the Philippines Malaysia and Brunei claim parts of the strategic South China Sea but Beijing claims nearly all of it and has moved aggressively to back that up

Indonesian minister: No language test for expats
It s just discourse that kind of policy will never be implemented

How should Indonesia face the ASEAN Economic Community?
It s important for Indonesia to open its economy but it has to develop local talent and supporting infrastructure

Aquino to businessmen: 'You ain’t seen nothing yet'
President Benigno Aquino III encourages investors to put their money in the Philippines as he vows to sustain the country s economic growth momentum

N. Mindanao ready to break into int’l trade?
Opportunities abound in agriculture food processing service related industries and trade infrastructure services

The wRap Indonesia: Oct. 14, 2014
Mark Zuckerberg s thoughts on Jokowi and Indonesia Jakarta s plan to tighten supervision of foreign workers a polygamy fee in East Lombok and more

ASEAN integration: More jobs, wider inequality
Inequality and labor issues could worsen under the ASEAN Economic Community unless countries started taking decisive action a study by the International Labor Organization and the Asian Development Bank says

Machines on PH farms: Catching up with ASEAN integration
While Asian neighbors started their mechanization programs on their farms in the 1960s or 1970s the Philippines started only in 2010 Agri officials say we can still catch up

Will Indonesia be competitive in an integrated ASEAN?
There are worries that Indonesia – the largest market in the region with a population of 250 million – would remain a target instead of a strong player

Spooking investors? Indonesia's Jokowi tackles ASEAN integration
We are open but what is paramount is to protect our national economy leading presidential bet Joko Widodo says in a debate

What one ASEAN community means for business
The tycoons narrow it down to one problem: the struggle of dealing with vested interests masquerading as national interests

PH 'well situated' to take advantage of ASEAN integration
But it must address the weaknesses of some sectors such as manufacturing and agriculture and challenges in energy transport and infrastructure

Australian investors on AEC 2015
What seems clear is that there is significant interest in the potential of the ASEAN Economic Community and that if issues are addressed investors from Australia and other parts of the world will come

The failure of ASEAN leadership?
To effectively push forward an ambitious ASEAN agenda of one market ASEAN must move fast and its leader must lead – not just within ASEAN but among potential investors
Meet the 4 Hitachi young leaders
4 of the most promising university students will represent the Philippine in the 12th Hitachi Young Leaders Initiative in Thailand
Ayala eyes Mindanao for power project
The Aboitiz and Alcanta groups have also previously made their own investments in Mindanao s power supply
'Sabah clash has no impact on trade pacts'
The Asian Development Bank says economic ties in the region have remained resilient despite tensions
Robust growth keeps PH on track to AEC 2015
The Philippines strong economic growth is paving the way to the country s successful integration into the ASEAN by 2015