“It is time we align our external relationships with the internal demands of our people”
For countless Filipino households working hard to make ends meet, the frustrating question is: when will life become less of a struggle?
Recent surveys show why this concern persists.
Pulse Asia reports that 54 percent of Filipinos rank inflation as their top worry, while SWS finds that 56 percent want government to prioritize lowering food prices, with rural households feeling the strain even more.
These are the same gripes heard in jeepneys, market stalls, and every workspace. Growth numbers may look steady, but the daily reality tells a different story.
The gap between economic performance and lived experience remains wide.
This is why it is necessary to look beyond our borders for practical solutions that can ease these pressures.
International partnerships have real weight, because they create jobs, shape prices and even the services households depend on.
In this context, ASEAN–Korea cooperation stands out as a source of tangible benefits that can help calm rising prices, create decent work, and strengthen economic security.
It is time we align our external relationships with the internal demands of our people.
Korea has built a reputation as a reliable, transparent, rules-following partner.
Surveys consistently show that Filipinos trust countries that behave predictably and support democratic values.
Korea is firmly in that circle of trust.
This matters because investors seek stability, and workers depend on investments that stay for the long haul. A trusted partner leads to more investments that create real employment.
ASEAN has become Korea’s second largest trading partner and investment locator. Much of Korea’s capital goes into manufacturing, digital infrastructure, construction, and logistics.
These sectors hire engineers, technicians, administrators, drivers, and production workers. They also support MSMEs.
When ASEAN and Korea strengthen supply chains, the Philippines gains better access to materials, technologies, and markets that help lower costs for producers and consumers.
Korea’s development cooperation deepens these gains.
Through the Economic Development Cooperation Fund and KOICA, Korea supports infrastructure, digital transformation, and green recovery across ASEAN.
For Filipino households, this means infrastructure that moves goods faster, energy systems that reduce disruptions, and digital platforms that streamline services.
These foundations don’t always make headlines, but they help keep prices stable and communities resilient.
We see this cooperation on the ground. ASEAN hosts about 17,000 Korean company branches, with hundreds operating in the Philippines.
As of June 2023, PEZA recorded 246 South Korean projects worth over 92 billion pesos, generating more than 40,000 jobs and producing hundreds of millions of dollars in exports.
These jobs cut across engineering, logistics, production, and support services that sustain local economies.
Tourism adds another layer.
With 1.76 million Korean visitors in 2024, Korea remains our largest tourist market.
Each visitor supports income for hotels, restaurants, transport operators, tour guides, and small businesses. A stable ASEAN–Korea track helps protect and expand these livelihoods.
These ties rest on over 75 years of cooperation, from shared sacrifice during the Korean War to today’s partnership in trade, technology, education, and energy.
The Philippines–Korea Free Trade Agreement, covering 97 percent of imports, will cut many tariffs to zero.
This can mean better access for farmers, more opportunities for manufacturers, and lower prices on machinery and inputs that help businesses and consumers alike.
Korea’s strength in technology and innovation reinforces this opportunity.
A stronger ASEAN–Korea platform can link Filipino workers and MSMEs to advanced sectors such as semiconductors, EV components, AI-enabled services, and green energy.
These are pathways to higher productivity and better incomes.
A closer look at these developments shows why ASEAN–Korea cooperation is not just another diplomatic track but a strategic lever for addressing persistent constraints. Investments that integrate Filipino firms into regional value chains can ease production costs and broaden employment. Technology partnerships can move industries upward, where incomes are stronger.
Coordinated work on supply chains, energy security, and digital systems can help stabilize prices and make services more reliable.
These priorities will take center stage at the ASEAN–Korea Forum on Dec. 5, launching the ‘CSP Contributor, Springboard, Partner) Vision for the Next 40 Years of Partnership.
Organized by Geopolitics Insight in cooperation with the Korea University ASEAN Center (KUAC), the Stratbase Institute, and the University of the Philippines Korea Research Center (UP-KRC), the forum brings together experts and officials from across ASEAN and Korea to shape strategies on youth exchanges, digital industry linkages, supply chain resilience, and public safety cooperation, laying groundwork for a long-term roadmap for ASEAN–Korea relations.
ASEAN–Korea cooperation can convert these aspirations and opportunities into advantage – a driver of international partnerships with benefits that flow directly to the people.
