FOR the past few weeks, a series of television commercials and radio spots, as well as print ads, have been airing nationwide providing information about the relationship of the European Union (EU) and the Philippines. These infomercials highlight various aspects of Philippine relations with European countries, in terms of trade, education, and health and wellness.
These infomercials serve just one purpose: to make Filipinos aware of the EU as a brand, a unique entity that is doing business in the Philippines.
EU Ambassador Guy Ledoux says that, while many Filipinos are aware of the different countries in Europe, their awareness of the EU, its member-countries and its relation with the country is almost insignificant. A study the EU in the Philippines commissioned in 2011 revealed that awareness of the EU as a brand was very low, with only 3 percent of respondents expressing knowledge of it.
“There is a need to inform the public about the EU,” Ledoux said in an interview with the BusinessMirror. “The EU is the largest economy in the world, larger than the United States, and even three times larger than that of China. And yet, it is least known in the Philippines, way behind China and the US.”
The situation isn’t unique to the Philippines. In fact, there is little awareness of the EU as a political entity around Asia. Ledoux said the Thais know Europeans solely through the various nationalities that frequent the country for vacations; it is the same way in Vietnam, where Europe is known through the investors doing business in the country.
“Each country is different,” he explained. “Knowledge of the EU varies from one country to another.”
Although public perception is low, Ledoux admits that the government is cognizant of the importance of relations between the Philippines and EU member-nations. He cites the visit of President Aquino to EU headquarters in Brussels in September 2014 as a step to “recognizing the EU as a big economic partner.”
An interest in peace
More than its interest in terms of trade and investments, the EU has an active interest in helping the Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) achieve the peace it has been working on for the past couple of years.
The EU envoy says Europe has a strong interest in helping areas of conflict around the world achieve lasting peace due to its experience during the Second World War.
“The promotion of peace is in the DNA of the EU,” he stressed. Ledoux says the conflict in Mindanao will not be achieved solely with the enactment of the Bangsamoro basic law. He says there are a number of other factors that bring about conflict in these areas.
“There is a link to poverty in the areas affected by conflict,” he explained. “Extreme poverty is feeding the conflict, and the continuing conflict further worsens poverty in the areas. We need to address the issues affecting the conflict, as well as address the issue of poverty.”
Since 2010, the EU has been actively participating in facilitating the negotiations between the Philippines and the MILF, having been asked to join a panel of experts in monitoring the exercise. However, the EU ambassador admits that the incident at Mamasapano on January 25 has greatly affected the progress of the negotiations.
The EU has been a witness to how the peace negotiation has prospered since it was started in 2010. He himself admits to seeing these changes.
He shares that when he first visited Cotabato in 2011, the area was heavily secured. “It was a very tense situation,” he said.
However, upon his return in 2012, and later on when he returned in 2013 and 2014 with other European ambassadors to monitor the progress of developments in the affected areas in Mindanao, there were improvements in terms of security in the region.
“In the last two years, there were no significant incidents in terms of conflict,” he explained. “That was a sign of progress.”
Work continues
Despite the setback the Mamasapano incident might have created, he says work in demining activities and in educating children continues.
He points out that a number of countries have taken initiatives to independently fund specific programs in Mindanao to address poverty and the needs of residents. France has allocated funds to improve existing infrastructure in the region, particularly farm-to-market roads and the provision of needed equipment. Switzerland is funding a study on the security situation in the region with the implementation of the BBL. There are also programs specifically addressing the needs of civilians that are funded through the Mindanao Trust Fund, which is managed by the World Bank.
He cites as an example the need for a multipurpose hall in one location. He admits he was at first skeptical about the project, considering that there were more pressing needs at the moment.
However, it wasn’t until he visited the area and saw the venue being used by residents for various occasions—as a makeshift school, health center, and an events venue for weddings and ceremonies—that he saw the logic in some of these civil works. “The peace process was already on the right track,” Ledoux declared. “But with what happened, the ongoing debate on the BBL will definitely cause a slowdown, and the adoption of the law in March of this year might not happen.” He is still hopeful that the peace negotiations will forge ahead.
“I hope this will take place in June,” he declared. “It would be a landmark, this adoption of the basic law.” As an adjunct to its role in helping facilitate the peace negotiations in Mindanao, the EU has also started the EU Peace Journalism Awards, which would recognize the achievements of the media covering the conduct of the peace process in Mindanao. The journalist who wins the prize will have the opportunity to travel to the EU headquarters in Brussels in November this year.
Ledoux emphasizes there is a need for fair and unbiased reporting of the conflict in Mindanao and the ensuing peace negotiations, and the prize will be recognizing this effort. Even before the May 31 deadline for submissions to the contest nears, the EU has been organizing continuing dialogues with peace experts and journalists on the conduct of the negotiations in the hope of presenting a complete report on the peace process.
If the EU is not that familiar among Filipinos as a brand, the achievement of peace in Mindanao, when it happens, will surely put the diplomatic organization in the center of discussions in the years following the sealing of an agreement. In the coming months, we will be hearing more about it on television and radio.
Image credits: BenJo Laygo