Republic of the Philippines

Department of Education
Region I
Office of the Curriculum and Learning Management Division

ASEAN CONNECTIVITY
CONTENT / KEY CONCEPTS AND MESSAGES:
Cross-Sectoral Initiatives

TOPIC:
ASEAN Connectivity

Summary
Connectivity in ASEAN refers to the physical, institutional, and people-to-people
linkages that can contribute towards a more competitive, inclusive, and cohesive
ASEAN. Greater connectivity supports the political-security, economic, and socio-
cultural pillars of an integrated ASEAN Community.

1. What are the five key areas of Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity (MPAC)
2025?
2. What is the main goal of ASEAN Connectivity 2025?
3. How can MPAC 2025 promote digital innovation in ASEAN community?
4. Why does improving ASEAN logistics landscapes crucial in sustaining strong
manufacturing growth?
5. Is a harmonised set of standards and regulations ensure economic collaboration
in ASEAN community? Why or why not?

Connecting ASEAN: An Overview

Home to more than 620 million people, ASEAN is a region filled with vast
opportunities. By connecting ASEAN through Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity
(MPAC) 2025, we are creating a regional network of people and infrastructure to
improve the way we live, work and travel.
To achieve that, the MPAC 2025 focuses on five key areas, namely, Sustainable
Infrastructure, Digital Innovation, Seamless Logistics, Regulatory Excellence, and
People Mobility.

The Vision of ASEAN Connectivity 2025

“To achieve a seamlessly and comprehensively connected and integrated ASEAN

that will promote competitiveness, inclusiveness, and a greater sense of
Community.”
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Sustainable Infrastructure

To promote travel, investment and trade across the region, ASEAN needs to
significantly enhance its infrastructure investment and productivity.
Strengthening project preparation through the Master Plan on ASEAN
Connectivity (MPAC) 2025 will enhance connectivity in ASEAN. Sustainable
infrastructure aims to deliver support across the life cycle of infrastructure projects
in the region from the preparation and design phases to knowledge sharing and
training.
Knowledge sharing will be facilitated through establishing a framework and
platform for improving infrastructure productivity and stimulating sustainable
urbanisation models across the region.
Sustainable infrastructure allows communities across the region to advance
their development goals towards a better quality of life, by understanding relevant
challenges and building constructive partnerships.

Digital Innovation

We now live in a digital world. Communications and trade are growing

exponentially across borders and devices. However, these advances are not taking
place at the same speed for all communities within ASEAN. This digital divide needs
to be bridged with innovations to support inclusive economic growth.
The Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity (MPAC) 2025 promotes the adoption of
digital technology by micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) through
developing a workplan to enhance their participation in the digital economy.
Furthermore, the MPAC 2025 seeks to improve open data use and digital data
management by establishing an ASEAN open data network and an ASEAN digital
data governance framework respectively. An ASEAN open data network enables the
peoples and governments to collaborate in making informed decisions towards
improved delivery of public services while an ASEAN digital data governance
framework promotes cooperation among ASEAN Member States towards the
protection of personal data in ASEAN.

Seamless Logistics

Nearly half of the world’s sea trade passes through ASEAN each year.Improving
ASEAN logistics competitiveness is therefore crucial to sustain strong manufacturing
growth.
To achieve this, the Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity (MPAC) 2025 seeks to
assess specific bottlenecks in major trade routes aiming at the lowering cost of
transporting goods and services across borders.
The MPAC 2025 proposes new approach to enhance speed and reliability supply
chains in ASEAN Member States through developing a supply chain framework. This
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includes collecting data and analysing the time and costs INFOBANK
required for goods crossing

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the border – be it land, sea or air – as well as identifying and addressing key
chokepoints to trade and investment.

Regulatory Excellence

A harmonised set of standards and regulations is needed for ASEAN to ensure a

seamless flow of trade and investment. With a commitment to regulatory excellence,
the Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity (MPAC) 2025 will support the harmonisation
of standards and development of mutual recognition agreements, as well as address
the technical regulations in ASEAN Member States.
To promote transparency and support the region’s trade growth, the MPAC
2025 will develop a quantification and benchmarking approach, and establish good
regulatory practices to address non-tariff measures (NTMs).
Micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) make up about 95 per cent of
ASEAN business, but they only account for around 30 per cent of exports.
Harmonising trade standards and regulations, developing appropriate benchmarks
and ensuring good regulatory practices will create more opportunities for MSMEs.

PEOPLE MOBILITY

The size and diversity of Southeast Asia is what makes ASEAN resilient and
exciting. To maximise ASEAN’s potential, the Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity
(MPAC) 2025 promotes people mobility in the region by supporting ease of travel
throughout ASEAN, reducing the gaps between vocational skills demand and supply,
and increasing intra-ASEAN university students mobility.
To establish ASEAN as a single travel destination, ASEAN needs to address the
lack of information on travel options and simplify the visa application process. The
MPAC 2025 supports these efforts by enhancing the existing ASEAN tourism digital
platforms and facilitating visa processes through the introduction of an electronic
visa.
Greater mobility creates more opportunities. To bring ASEAN’s talents closer to
their opportunities, the MPAC 2025 seeks to establish high-quality vocational
training programmes and qualification frameworks, as well as develop a student
mobility database, regional internship programmes and alumni networks.

Source: https://asean.org/our-communities/asean-connectivity/

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Answer Key

1. The five key areas of Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity (MPAC) 2025 are Sustainable
Infrastructure, Digital Innovation, Seamless Logistics, Regulatory Excellence, and People
Mobility.
2. ASEAN Connectivity 2025 aims to achieve a seamlessly and comprehensively connected
and integrated ASEAN that will promote competitiveness, inclusiveness, and a greater
sense of Community.
3. MPAC 2025 promotes digital innovation by means of developing a workplan in the
adoption of digital technology by micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) that will
enhance their participation in the digital economy. Another way to promote digital
innovation is to improve open data use and digital data management by establishing an
ASEAN open data network and an ASEAN digital data governance framework respectively.
4. Improved ASEAN logistics landscapes provide smooth passage of goods, low cost of
transporting goods and services across border, and enhances ASEAN trading potential.
5. Yes, a harmonised set of standards and regulations ensure economic collaboration in
ASEAN community. This harmonised set of regulations will provide a seamless flow of
trade and investment in ASEAN Member States. To promote transparency and support the
region’s trade growth, the MPAC 2025 will develop a quantification and benchmarking
approach, and establish good regulatory practices to address non-tariff measures (NTMs)
which will create more opportunities for Micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs).

PREPARED BY:

AUDIEZZA R. CASTILLO

RO1_ASEAN-UNESCO INFOBANK

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