Addressing a session of the World Economic Forum (WEF) here, the President said the 10-member ASEAN has decided "to stand up and be counted" in political, security, and economic affairs as she highlighted the group’s achievements in the last four decades.

"I am honored to be in this year’s World Economic Forum, which emphasizes the shift of economic power to Asia. Indeed, ASEAN is asserting itself because it is time for Asia to stand up and be counted," she said at the dialogue on "ASEAN’s Economic Roadmap" attended by political and business leaders at Hotel Meierhof.

"It is time for Asia to take control of its own destiny. It is a signal that Asia is maturing. It has become a full partner in economic, security, and political affairs," she added.

The Philippines is chairman of the ASEAN this year and recently hosted the 12th ASEAN Summit in Cebu where leaders agreed to transform the group into a close political unit, get tough on terrorism, and hasten the creation of a "free trade zone."

Mrs. Arroyo said the ASEAN has already taken "a bold step forward rather than a timid step back" by committing to write its first Charter to create a more formalized regional bloc with legally binding rules and regulations.

The group has unanimously endorsed a blueprint of the ASEAN Charter drafted by eminent persons from across the region, which included possible sanctions or even the expulsion of misbehaving members.

"An ASEAN Charter will help achieve ‘One Vision, One Identity, One Community,’ and hopefully, someday, ‘One Union" for ASEAN. It will achieve this by providing an enhanced institutional framework as well as conferring a legal personality on the ASEAN," she said.

At a time when the Doha round is faltering, President Arroyo said ASEAN, which groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam, has also proclaimed support for the resumption of the global trade talks.

Most importantly, the ASEAN also remains committed to expanding its trade area to create the world’s great trading blocs, President Arroyo said.

She said the regional group has accelerated the establishment of an ASEAN Community by 2015 rather than 2020.

"ASEAN’s economic roadmap will lead to an ASEAN single market and production base in which there is a free movement of goods, services, skilled labor, and investments, equitable economic development, reduced poverty incidence, and narrowed socio-economic development gaps," she said.

"The challenge is to create a stronger, more united, and cohesive ASEAN while further expanding our engagement with our dialogue partners and other parties," she added.

It seeks to facilitate the free flow of goods and capitalize on a market of over 500 million in population.

Swiss company offers to supply RP with security inks

DAVOS, Switzerland (via PLDT) —- A Swiss company has offered to provide security inks to the Philippine government for printing currency notes and other valuable documents.

The innovative security solutions proposed by SICPA Holdings SA, the world’s leading company in security inks for world currencies, seek to protect and improve revenues of the Arroyo government from counterfeits.

Maurice Amon, co-executive chairman of SICPA, proposed the propriety and integrated technology under a build-operate- transfer(BOT) scheme in a meeting with President Arroyo at the sidelines of the World Economic Forum (WEF) here.

President Arroyo traveled from Manila last Thursday to this Swiss ski resort to represent the Philippines and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in the global gathering of politicians and business leaders on key political, economic, and social issues.

Amon said the SICPA, a global systems integrator that can integrate, secure, track, and trace solutions to protect and government revenues, has decided to respond to the President’s call for greater private sector participation in infrastructure and other development projects in the Philippines.

"By this proposal, we are affirming our confidence in the Philippines as an investment site, and as a partner in a major cooperative undertaking," he said.

Amon said they offer the Philippines an integrated technology that will allow the government to enforce its tax laws with greater efficiency, security, and consistency across domestic and imported products.

Under the proposal, SICPA will shoulder implementation costs in a business model where it would fully absorb all investments in the information technology and technical infrastructure program of the Philippines.

SICPA, based in Lausanne, Switzerland, is known as the global leader in security inks for banknotes and valuable documents. It has developed a strong position as creator of innovative security solutions and integrated systems.

Throughout its history, SICPA has dedicated itself to helping governments, central banks, high security printers, and brand owners find comprehensive solutions to widespread security issues. (Genalyn D. Kabiling)

Palace upbeat on nation’s improving economic standing

DAVOS, Switzerland (via PLDT) — The world is now taking notice of the Philippines due to its improving economic standing and successful crackdown on terrorism.

Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye yesterday said President Arroyo has steered the country into the limelight with her tough economic reforms, broad diplomatic engagement, and decisive strike against terror.

Bunye said the prospects of a credit upgrade for the country this year were a "clear recognition" that the Philippines is on the right track.

Several financial institutions such as ING have predicted that Manila would earn a credit upgrade this year due to better finances and fiscal reforms, Bunye said.

"Tough decisions are now paying off in terms of global confidence steadily, being translated into investments and jobs," said Bunye, a member of the official delegation of President Arroyo at the annual economic forum here.

Bunye said the combined impact of these tough decisions with the economic diplomacy waged by President Arroyo is even greater in view of the trail of Philippine engagement in the region and the world —- with the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the East Asian Summit, and now the World Economic Forum (WEF) here.

"The President has strategically fused firm leadership at home, a decisive strike against terror, and broad diplomatic engagement to push the Philippines forward into the limelight, and the world has taken notice," he said.

Bunye said "2007 is a boom year not only for the Philippine economy but also for every Filipino household." He said Filipinos would soon reap fruits of more jobs, enterprise, peace, and stability and a government delivering the goods in terms of health, education, food, and infrastructure.

In recent months, the Arroyo government scored several strides in the campaign against the Abu Sayyaf Group, earning praises from anti-terror allies led by the United States.

Following the death of two Abu Sayyaf leaders, President Arroyo has vowed to finish off the remnants of the terror group with fistsof steel.

She said the government would work closely with allies in the region as well as in the United States "to tighten the dragnet and stop the movement of terrorists" and finances used by such groups across Southeast Asia. (Genalyn D. Kabiling)