By JC BELLO RUIZ
NAY PYI TAW, Myanmar – The Association of Southeast Asian Nations' (ASEAN) economic integration should also come with "decent and just work standards for migrant workers," President Aquino said yesterday at the 24th ASEAN Summit here.
Aquino in his intervention during the 24th ASEAN Summit Plenary said that though the Philippines looks forward to greater economic development through the ASEAN integration, he is also also wary of the risks involved.
"We look forward to prospects for greater economic development once ASEAN integration takes place – which includes greater facilitation of goods, services, and persons. However, as this measure holds great promise for all our nations, so too does it carry risks," he said.
"We must, for instance, protect our peoples – whether tourists, businessmen and investors, or migrant workers," he stressed.
Protecting migrant workers is a "compelling" issue for his government, he said, with the millions of Filipinos working overseas.
"I therefore encourage my fellow leaders to commit to completing an ASEAN instrument on the protection and promotion of the rights of migrant workers in time for integration in 2015. This would ensure that decent and just work standrads are observed for all migrant workers," he said.
Aquino said the economic integration should not result to greater opportunities for human trafficking to take place.
"Human trafficking is a scourge that affects not only our nations and peoples in the ASEAN but all nations in the world. When the rights of one are abused, it paves the way for the rights of all others to be abused. As leaders, we must exert all our efforts to end this," the President said.
"We know that with greater integration in ASEAN comes the enhanced mobility of our peoples. This must not redound to greater opportunities for human trafficking to take place," he added.
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