Updated  August 7, 2017: I first wrote this last May . I  updated this blog post to add the media accreditation for the ASEAN 50th anniversary celebration 

Some of you have probably noticed I’ve been tweeting a lot about ASEAN 2017 since January this year. It is part of my work as senior consultant for the Committee on Media Affairs and Strategic Communications, led by the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO). Finally, the first big event , the ASEAN 30th Summit and Related Meetings finally happened. This is it!

Before I write about my views on the statements released by ASEAN , let me share my experience covering the summit.

asean 30th summit

Read my other articles on ASEAN:

ASEAN beyond 50: What does the future hold for the youth?

“This is our future” – the school children at the ASEAN School Tour

Opportunities and challenges of women in the ASEAN

10 opportunities and benefits for the citizens in ASEAN

Opportunities for your children in the ASEAN

Sharing my social media experience at the 1st ASEAN Social Media Strategy Meeting

The Philippines as ASEAN Chair: Six thematic priorities

The ASEAN community 2025 vision: What is in it for me?

ASEAN, a region of opportunities for the citizens 

It’s my first time as a blogger  to cover an international event. I applied for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders’ Meeting held on 18–19 November 2015 in Manila but it was revoked at the last minute.  Don’t look at me.

Asean information booth

This time around, bloggers got accredited to cover the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) 30th Summit. The thing is, I could not cover the meetings just like the rest of the media due to security reasons and also because we were more than 1,400 . There was an information channel, email blast , international broadcast center, and press releases . Nothing beats being right there at  an event and I will get to that experience in a bit.

Media Accreditation

Like the past media accreditation for ASEAN , I had to sign up at the Asean2017.ph website. The registration is buggy. I had to repeat the process all over again and then I get this duplicate record

As to the agency I represent, I put Blog Watch and wrote a letter of request which I needed to be attached in the form. Within 24 hours, I received a confirmation.

READ MORE: Jane’s post on What is all this ado about bloggers at #ASEAN2017?

READ MORE: Sonnie’s post on recent media accreditation of bloggers and other issues.

READ MORE: Juned’s post Asean and Social Media Coverage

The International Media Center

The International Media Center was something new for me.

Main Briefing Room.

Bloggers (Left to right) Jane , Tess Termulo and Marvin Germo

Fortunately, those without laptops had desktops for their use at the main briefing room.  Each table had a charging station for our gadgets.

asean 30th summit

Bloggers at the main briefing room at the ASEAN 30th Summit (Left to right): Ace Gapuz, Sonnie Santos, Mark Macanas, Tess Termulo and Jane Uymatiao

The social media lounge was for everyone to use , especially for those that didn’t bring their laptops…or when their laptops died from overuse.

Social media corner

It was the place to chit-chat, sip coffee  and socialize as the main briefing room is meant for writing in peace and quiet.

READ : Notes on ASEAN Summit 2017, Part I: My Personal Story

bloggers at the social media lounge

The  RFID card was or the Radio-Frequency IDentification is so cool. I think everyone stopped to get their photo taken. Awesome, isn’t it?

The social media coverage

One needed to sign up at the Information desk for Pool Coverage . I was fortunate to get a slot to take photos till the Opening statement of the ASEAN Foreign Ministers Meeting .

A van took the photographers and social media practitioners like myself from the Pool Waiting area to the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC).  The thing is I don’t carry huge gadgets like those professional DSLR and a step ladder so I am told to step back to give way to them.

This is why my photo of the ASEAN Foreign Ministers is not taken from the center. Hmm, maybe I should bring my humongous DSLR next time just so I get a better view.

The iPhone7 Plus has an excellent  zoom feature so I managed to get a shot of Acting Foreign Secretary Manalo in his Opening Statement.

The ASEAN foreign ministers released a statement shortly after their meeting.

“ASEAN is mindful that instability in the Korean Peninsula seriously impacts the region and beyond.”

What a strong statement but silent on China?

There was limited media slots for the Opening Ceremony but if I got an invitation , I could cover it. As a guest of the the Opening Ceremony of the ASEAN 30th Summit, one needed an invitation. I was lucky to get an invite just the night before April 29 from my friends at PCOO .

A shuttle  brought us to the International Media Center to PICC.

Yes, it felt like a fiesta with all the dancers at the lobby.

Everyone had to be inside the PICC by 9:00 AM even if the Opening Ceremony would start  at 10:30 AM.  I understand all these security precautions for the sake of our  10 Asean leaders and even for us, the audience.

I was early enough because the shuttle took me there around 7:30 AM.

The President then delivered his Opening Statement where he emphasized the importance of unity, solidarity, and cooperation among the ASEAN member states.

What stood out is that ASEAN leaders be resolute in achieving a drug-free ASEAN which I hope puts an end to killings and that the drug lords are caught  and charged.

Before the family photo was taken, the ASEAN spirit was sung accompanied by a beautiful dance number. I took this live on facebook and a lot of viewers enjoyed the scene. With my left hand on my iPhone taking the video , I used my right hand to take photos. Notice the shakiness of my live video. It still got a modest number of hits .

This is such a historical moment for me, seeing all the 10 ASEAN leaders.

The ASEAN family photo

The Opening ceremony was pretty  quick but I still had to wait for the press conference by President Duterte . It is my first press conference with a President . Only 150 who signed up got access.

The press conference schedule was  at 7:10 PM but by 5:00 PM, we were brought to the PICC holding area. One line was formed for reporters while the other line for photographers and videographers before we could walk out towards the PICC Meeting room.

The bloggers got a good position just a row behind the seats assigned to the government officials.

The President arrived late , and was probably tired but he mustered to say in jest, “Anak ka ng… Kung ganito lang ang summit, kanselado na ‘yung sa November (If summits are like this, then let’s just cancel the one in November)”

The President then  read a prepared statement but he seemed eager  for the questions from the media. He appeared to be in high spirits with the press that  Saturday night, “even joking that the media should have been invited to the gala dinner with ASEAN leaders and other dignitaries.”

Here is a video of the press conference:

His guests at the Gala dinner were waiting for him so he cut short his press conference . We only had 30 minutes. He had already left the podium but went back to announce that women can have their photos taken with him.

“I am not trying to be a show-off, but I’ve noticed that after every conference, a lot of mostly women would want to have a picture with me. Women, come up and we’ll have the pictures”

I thought he was kidding.  Of course, I wanted a photo with the President. For Prosperity’s sake just as I had the chance with four past Philippine presidents. (The next day , I was surprised our selfies  got featured on page 4 of the Philippine Inquirer)

Lastly ,  not all media got the same giveaways and bag . An Inquirer reporter made such a big deal out of it.   There was another bag distributed to “others” and no phone was in it. Instead, a USB charging/power port was in the bag along with a  notebook and pen, dried mangoes, utility bag and a bamboo speaker. PCOO explains the giveaways in a press statement.

I will write a commentary   about the issues raised at the ASEAN 30th Summit

  1. Why was ASEAN silent about the “the subject of China’s  reclamation activities and military build up in the disputed South China Sea”? (Update: Our Blogwatch article on the South China Sea)
  2.  The Chairman’s statement 30th ASEAN Summit .
  3. The budget for the Philippine hosting.

The controversial  issues left behind by the ASEAN summit  are disappointing but, I must say the Philippine hosting is a success. No major security threat while the delegates and leaders were in our country. The small successes of Asean  include the Philippines and Indonesia allowing a roll-on, roll-off (Roro) vessel route from Davao to General Santos then to Bitung, Indonesia, which cuts the trip from two to three weeks to one or two days. There is much room for improvement in the media access especially for bloggers . But let’s take a look at the last two paragraphs of the President’s opening speech  that look at the positives.

Let us remember: ASEAN has a compelling narrative of positive change [that] we can hold up to the world. Through our distinct ASEAN way, our region – with all its promise – stands at the center of the future of the Asia-Pacific region.

Let us with brave hearts and firm mind resolve to do all we can to make all our aspirations a reality. [This] will be the lasting legacy of ASEAN not just for our peoples but for the whole world.

Each one of us play a part in the vision of ASEAN.

Covering the 50th anniversary celebration

Updated: June 6, announcement of winners

Updated : extended to June 5, 2017 for last day of submission 


Each of us has a story on ASEAN. An ASEAN story is a travel story, a rights story, a labor story, a business story, a political story.” The story touches  parents,  students,  professionals, farmers , laborers, and every ASEAN citizen. The blog writing project “My ASEAN Story” is open to bloggers worldwide who  want to share their personal story . You can post it on your blogging platform and get a chance to win an ASEAN memorabilia. (See mechanics below the post)

Winners of the #MyAseanStory Blog Writing Project

Our Asean love story

Ten life lessons I’ve learned from visiting ASEAN countries

Getting lost is not a bad thing at all.

The top 3 winners will receive an ASEAN backpack while the rest will get an ASEAN themed notebook with a foldable backpack. Please contact me at noemidado @ gmail.com on how to get your prizes.

Here are the submissions:

Some realizations during the SEABA Championship

Our Hanoi trip & enjoying the sights and sounds of a UNESCO World Heritage Site

My Asean life story :  Business in the hands of John and Vonny Oei

Takeaways from Studying in Singapore

Our Asean love story

Ten life lessons I’ve learned from visiting ASEAN countries

Silip sa Siem Reap (A glimpse of Siem Reap)

Getting lost is not a bad thing at all.

My Heart is Rooted in the Philippines

Kuala Lumpur: 16 months later 

—–

This is my story.

The ASEAN is at the heart of Asia  and feels so close to home. What comes  to your mind when you hear about ASEAN? I bet  most of you are grateful about the  visa-free travel in the 10 Southeast Asian countries. I have traveled  to eight ASEAN member states except for Brunei and Myanmar .  Food and travel go hand in hand.   Yes, “food is the centerpiece  with many ASEAN societies sharing a common passion for food as a social get-together activity”.  Beyond travel and food,  an invitation to attend the 1st ASEAN Social Media Strategy Meeting in Jakarta in 2011 totally changed my life.

my asean story

Being there with other social media personalities in the ASEAN region was a learning experience. The sharing meant also an exchange of ideas that can be also replicated in my sphere of influence. What did I share? There is no secret to SOCIAL MEDIA except to listen, connect, share and engage and be passionate about the topics shared.

my asean story

The informal meeting also inspired me to consider writing more about the ASEAN instead of just concentrating on Philippine issues. The progress in ASEAN integration and the ongoing community building efforts is something that everyone should know. I gained a lot of basic understanding of what ASEAN meant as a region of opportunities.

my asean story

I would have never known about Asean opportunities and benefits if I didn’t attend this conference and the 2nd social media exchange in Bangkok . Our participation in the 2011 and 2013 social media exchange  led to the ASEAN secretariat being more active on twitter and facebook.  My awareness on ASEAN is not anymore limited to politics or the visa-free travel benefits but that ASEAN is one big community with a vision for 2025.

I am more involved in social media by raising awareness for ASEAN which is part of my work as Senior Consultant for the ASEAN 2017 Committee on Media Affairs and Strategic Communications (CMASC). The looks of hope from the students and citizens during the ASEAN roadshows and school tours inspire me to continue to promote the  opportunities and benefits for the citizens in ASEAN .

my asean story

I know you , too, have a personal story on ASEAN as a student, a mother, a tourist, an entrepreneur, a teacher or even as a blogger… and I hope you can share it through your blog.

I am holding a blog writing project and a chance to win an ASEAN memorabilia. Here are the   guidelines:

1. The contest is open to all bloggers worldwide.
2. Follow  @asean2017 on twitter or facebook.com/asean2017
3. Write a blog post of your own personal story with a minimum of 500 words on the theme #MyAseanStory” and post it on your blog platform (self-hosted blog, facebook, tumblr, wordpress)

  • What are your life experiences: challenges , great memories?

I will even share it on my social networks.
4. Use the hashtag #MyAseanStory #Asean2017 when sharing your post in social media.
5. Contest will start May 9 and end May 31, 2017. Cut off of entries is 11:59 PM on May 31, 2017. (Update extended June 5 11:59pm)
6. The post that is creative and interesting will receive an ASEAN memorabilia

The top three winners will get this beautiful blue backpack with Asean goodies inside 

Inside the ASEAN backpack

12 will receive an ASEAN themed notebook with pen plus an ASEAN foldable backpack

A total of 15 winners will get these awesome prizes.

7.  A team of bloggers will select the 15 winning blog entries. Winners will be announced on June 3, 2017

So,  have fun, get your creative juice flowing, and share your ASEAN story.

my asean story

Here are the submissions:

Some realizations during the SEABA Championship

Our Hanoi trip & enjoying the sights and sounds of a UNESCO World Heritage Site

My Asean life story :  Business in the hands of John and Vonny Oei

Takeaways from Studying in Singapore

Our Asean love story

Ten life lessons I’ve learned from visiting ASEAN countries

Silip sa Siem Reap (A glimpse of Siem Reap)

Getting lost is not a bad thing at all.

My Heart is Rooted in the Philippines

Kuala Lumpur: 16 months later 

The ASEAN school tour is one of the many ways to raise awareness of what the ASEAN community means in the lives of our children.

What future can our children look forward to? Of course, there is the future of the Philippines and then there is the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), our community, our future. The ASEAN is at the heart of Asia and feels so close to home.

READ: Opportunities for your children in the ASEAN

As part of my work in the ASEAN 2017 awareness campaign, I get to cover ASEAN School tours. So far , I have covered Iloilo , Mandaue and Cebu City. I really enjoy being with the school children.  Everywhere I go, the children are so eager to learn more about ASEAN. There is so much energy as they raise their flag and sing “The Asean way”. The kids sing the ASEAN anthem after the National Anthem. It is a beautiful song.

Raise our flag high, sky high
Embrace the pride in our heart
ASEAN we are bonded as one
Look-in out-ward to the world.
For peace, our goal from the very start
And prosperity to last.
We dare to dream we care to share.
Together for ASEAN
we dare to dream,
We care to share,
For it’s the way of ASEAN

The ASEAN Way is the official anthem of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. It has  a poignant tone to it especially if sung by the children. Listen to the video below that I took at the Mandaue City Central School.

 The ASEAN Anthem is an expression of ASEAN unity. It also strengthens the sense of ASEAN identity and belonging among the peoples of the region so singing it brings a sense of community.

Let me share what happens at a school tour.

In every school tour, you will catch the children raise their flags with glee. I ask the kids if they knew the 10 countries by heart . Oh yes, they do.

Asean school tour in Iloilo City

There is Kuya Karl to the kids. He is the energetic host of the ASEAN fun games where he teaches the kids  how to say “Thank You” in 10 different languages of the ASEAN member states and other fun trivia.

Kuya Karl of PCOO – ASEAN hosts the fun trivia games

It is a joy to watch the kids follow Kuya Karl as he pronounces some of the tongue twisting “Thank yous”. I am learning too.

How to say thank you in the 10 languages in ASEAN?

Tell me , do you know how to say ‘Thank you” in Vietnamese? Well, I learned it is Cam on[kárm ern] or saying “thank you” in Burmese?

Its “kyaayyjuutainpartaal”. Can you even pronounce that? You can ask Kuya Karl to help you with that. After these school tours, I will master all the “thank yous” with the right accent.

Asean school tour in Cebu City Sports Complex with 1200 students

You can see the kids are never bored. All ears are focused on the engaging ways to learn about Asean.

Ana  (not her real name) takes down notes from the lessons she picked up from the trivia game.

Where are the 10 countries in ASEAN ?

The children mastered their geography by identifying the countries on the map. They also learned the three pillars of the ASEAN Community comprised of three pillars: the Political-Security Community, Economic Community and Socio-Cultural Community and the ASEAN 2017 theme (Partnering for Change, Engaging the World) in this multiple choice game.

READ: 10 opportunities and benefits for the citizens in ASEAN

The school tour is also one way for the children to feel this dream of an ASEAN community.

“Together for ASEAN
we dare to dream,
We care to share,
For it’s the way of ASEAN”.

YES, they said it well: “This is our future”.

READ: The Philippines as ASEAN Chair: Six thematic priorities

 

Participating schools at the school tour in Cebu City Sports complex were: Apas National High School, City Central Elementary and High School, Mabolo Elementary and High School, Zapatera Elementary, Don Vicente Rama Elementary and High School, Abellana National High School, Asian College of Technology, Cebu Normal University, Cebu Institute of Technology-University, University of Cebu, University of San Carlos and University of Southern Philippines Foundation.

 I aspire to spread awareness, interest and advocacy of what ASEAN can bring for our children’s future and how it benefits citizens in the ASEAN.

aspire asean awareness

My goals in my prime time years is to be productive, continue to learn, and educate myself to new career paths. To aspire to be the best that I can be. No one is ever too old to grab opportunities.  You must have read my post on  my involvement  with the year long activities of the Association of South East Asian Nations or ASEAN 2017 summit as Senior Consultant for ALL Media Engagement under the PCOO led Committee on Media Affairs and Strategic Communications (CMASC),  ASEAN National Organizing Council (NOC).  I have never been so busy in my life travelling all over the Philippines, covering the ASEAN roadshows or school tours.

aspire asean awareness

I find my ASEAN work so relevant  not only for the Philippines but for the rest of the nine ASEAN member states.  It is my goal to spread awareness and advocacy of what ASEAN can do for our children’s future.  Megawati Sukarnoputri , the daughter of Sukarno, said that “the future of our country lies in the hands of today’s children which is why the duty of ensuring our children’s future not only lies in the hands of their parents, but society as well.”  Giving kids a bright future is  ASEAN’s responsibility . Since January, I have been part of the ASEAN CMASC campaign to spread awareness and educate the public about the ASEAN. Our objective is to let every Filipino and ASEAN citizen know what their stake is in the Community.

asean

I love what I do and I will continue to aspire to be the best I can to spread awareness to our ASEAN citizens. You might also want to read my article on the 10 opportunities and benefits for citizens in the ASEAN. I also have written about Opportunities for your children in the ASEAN.

So far my travels have brought me to Davao, Pampanga, Baguio, Boracay, Cebu and Iloilo.

asean awareness

ASEAN launch and ASEAN -PCOO roadshow

During the first event as the Chair of ASEAN, President Rodrigo Roa Duterte opened the important gathering with a speech that further discussed the theme  “Partnering for Change, Engaging the World.

Launch of the chairship of the ASEAN Socio cultural pillar in Pampanga

Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) aims to enhance efforts towards a “People-oriented, people-centered ASEAN.” 

 

ASEAN PCOO roadshow in Baguio

The attendance of the roadshow at the Elizabeth Hotel was so huge that the hashtag #ASEAN2017 trended from 9:00 AM till 1:00 PM with  its peak at number 2 at around 11:25 AM that February 3.

Covering ground activities of ASEAN Senior Officials’ Meeting in Boracay

Human rights were included in the the 23rd Meeting of the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR).  The following commemorative activities will be the Launch of the Regional Action Plan on Mainstreaming the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in the ASEAN Community; AICHR Youth Debate on Human Rights; and 50th Anniversary Edition of the AICHR Booklet and Video.

ASEAN PCOO roadshow in Cebu and launch of the ASEAN Information Kiosks

The  roadshows also include the launch of the ASEAN information kiosks where  comics and other reading materials, written in different Philippine dialects are distributed free of charge.

ASEAN information kiosk at the Iloilo City Hall

17th ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community Council (ASCC) Meeting and the school tours

In the Iloilo meeting, two key documents of ASEAN Leaders’ Declaration on the Role of Civil Service as Catalysts for Achieving the ASEAN Community Vision 2025, and the ASEAN Declaration for the Protection and Promotion of the Rights of Migrant Workers will be submitted to the 30th ASEAN Summit to be held late April.

I am glad I have the gadgets and tools that I need to be mobile and efficient in the crafting of digital content on the event highlights and share it to my social media network such as twitter, facebook, Instagram , and LinkedIN. Though only 58% of the Filipinos are online ,  the combination of offline activities as well  online engagement will  allow citizens to understand how ASEAN benefits them. This way, no one is left behind as CMASC reach out to those without access to the Internet or traditional media.

acer aspire

I continue to aspire to raise ASEAN awareness on our campaign that speaks to everyone, from all walks of life– from government workers, media, NGOs, civil society, the academe, business sector, the youth and event the grassroots communities.

You might also want to read my article on the 10 opportunities and benefits for citizens in the ASEAN. I also have written about Opportunities for your children in the ASEAN and the  Six thematic priorities of the Philippines as ASEAN chair.

“In the long history of humankind those who learned to collaborate and improvise most effectively have prevailed.”~ Charles Darwin

David Hatcher’s email popped up on my iphone as I stopped to read my inbox while stalled in traffic. He said he was working for the GIZ, a German development organisation that is facilitating a meeting about Social Media Strategy on behalf of ASEAN on October 27-28 in Jakarta.

Whoa, I had to laugh. Two weeks before a meeting? He must be kidding. This must be a scam. I couldn’t resist being more investigative.

Curious about the GIZ, I fired up my browser and read the website. It seemed GIZ was legitimate and impressive. Okay, I could risk talking to David via Skype as he suggested. Well, well…David called via Skype and a smiling handsome German appeared on the screen of macbook laptop. I instinctively fixed my rumpled hair as I talked to him. Funny I did that. Our 20-minute conversation convinced me even more that this invitation was not a scam.

I asked David how he found me because I never get invited to blogger forums or workshops abroad. He said he did a search using various metric tools. They were looking for power users in social media. I wonder what those tools were. I agreed to be there at the meeting to share my experiences.

Let’s face it , Social Media is everywhere today. Social media is being social but I like that it has also influenced positive change in the community I live in. Stories that traditional media picked up from my twitter timeline and that first broke in Twitter include many relevant issues”

The 1st ASEAN Social Media Exchange and Social Media Communication Strategy for ASEAN became a reality as I flew in Jakarta on October 26. I warned David that I have no abstract theories about social media. Everything I learned about social media came from my own mistakes, the engagement and just being true to myself. Sharing my experience is definitely something I can do but don’t ask me to talk about principles of social media.

Lessons learned in social media

I cannot share the discussion in this meeting. Suffice it to say that the overall objective is to facilitate a reasonably informal exchange about Social Media Strategy for ASEAN. It is likely that various formal outcomes and implementations would emerge from the meeting and be rolled out in 2012, probably as a suite of related projects which may include internal training at ASEAN, follow up initiatives addressing topics that emerge from the meeting, etc.

Being there with other social media personalities in the ASEAN region was a learning experience. The sharing meant also an exchange of ideas that can be also replicated in my sphere of influence. What did I share? There is no secret to SOCIAL MEDIA except to listen, connect, share and engage and be passionate about the topics shared. The informal meeting also inspired me to consider writing more about the ASEAN instead of just concentrating about Philippine issues. The progress in ASEAN integration and the ongoing community building efforts is something that everyone should know.

There were many insights I shared along the way.

1. Action speaks louder than words. . Walk the talk. All those tweets and status notes are utterly useless without action. Actions and hard work speak for themselves. At the end of the day, these matter because they are what people use to judge you. The rest does not matter.

2. Treat others the way you would like to be treated. Always take the high road even if someone is rude to you. Mistakes happen but be willing to acknowledge them and try not to repeat it again.

3. Be interested in people’s lives. Create bonds between your social media friends even if you think this is just an online friendship.

4. Continue learning from your own mistakes or from others.

5. Forget the numbers. Forget quantity. Real influence is measured by the way others look up to you.  No matter how big or small your circle is. ( I didn’t know quite how to phrase this but I found tips from How do I become influential?)

One cannot claim to be influential unless others tell that about you.

ASEAN: ““One Vision, One Identity, One Community”

“Asia is a major driver of global growth, and ASEAN is right in the center of the action. Our countries offer complementary advantages to businesses, and a neutral core around which the rest of Asia can build economic ties, and a regional framework of cooperation. To sustain this, ASEAN has to become more integrated and cohesive. Only thus can we keep up with larger and stronger economies like China and India,” said Singapore Prime Minister LeeHsien Loong when addressing the opening ceremony of the ASEAN Business and Investment Summit held here on Nov. 17.

The vision of “One Vision, One Identity, One Community” benefits all the ASEAN neighbors but how many of us know exactly what ASEAN stands for. It is about time ASEAN reaches out to the member states. Social media is still a new way to communicate. One has to jump into the pool to be in it. It is just natural that people who are in the institutions have a natural fear of it. But the scary part is not being there at all.

Pete Cashmore once shared that “We’re living at a time when attention is the new currency. Those who insert themselves into as many channels as possible look set to capture the most value.”

To achieve the historic collective leap of ASEAN countries towards ASEAN’s goal of “One Vision, One Identity, One Community” starts from communicating this charter acros the ASEAN.

How can you squander even one more day not taking advantage of the greatest shifts of our generation? How dare you settle for less when the world has made it so easy for you to be remarkable?

I believe ASEAN needs to be there, to be seen, to listen and be heard in social media. It might seem overwhelming but baby steps will do at the start. Even those delving in social media still know nothing.

#Twitter is where 40% of users spam, 5% share/interact & 55% are social media experts.

I continue to learn about social media.

“Social Media is about being open, being a connector, being supportive and being yourself.” ~ Michael Q. Todd, @mqtodd, 12Most

Thank you for the company and the experience, my fellow co-participants:

Durudee Sirichanya, Assistant Director, Head of Public Outreach and Civil Society, ASEAN: http://www.asean.org/, http://www.facebook.com/aseansecretariat, http://twitter.com/#!/ASEAN2015

Nuraini Soulisa, Public Outreach Officer, ASEAN

Chris Tan, consultant, ASEAN Web team

Delwin Keasberry, Brunei’s most prolific tweeter: http://twitter.com/#!/BruneiTweet and Founder of ProjekBrunei.com: http://www.projekbrunei.com/

Prof John Ure, Economist and consultant based in Singapore with consultancy in Hong Kong: http://www.trp.trpc.com.hk/, also Executive Director of the Asia Internet Coalition, http://www.asiainternetcoalition.org/

Melina Chan, Founder of Kinyei in Cambodia: http://www.kinyei.org/, extensive experience with development, peer-to-peer education, unconferences and social enterprises

Ong Hock Chuan, Technical Advisor at Maverick, protagonist behind Pesta Blogger and this year’s ON|OFF: http://www.maverick.co.id, http://theunspunblog.com and http://www.onoffid.org/

Danny Butt, Member of Editorial Board at Digital Review of Asia Pacific (joint project of the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) and the ORBICOM Network of UNESCO Chairs in Communications, Member of Creative Industries Advisory Group for Auckland City: http://dannybutt.net/