One of the cornerstones of the Philippines' foreign and trade policies is ASEAN.

This is
reflected in the Philippines' goal of promoting a more peaceful, stable, and free Southeast
Asia by pursuing various efforts in policymaking, economic, trade, and functional
cooperation. Through the ASEAN Economic Community, the Philippines is exposed to better
opportunities and benefits in terms of trading with ASEAN member states and other countries
outside of the union as not only does it aim to promote economic and cultural exchange
among its members but to also establish lasting relationships with foreign powers that have
mutual goals which are, in many ways, beneficial to the development of Philippine economy.
In light of the good side of ASEAN-Philippines trade relations, there are underlying factors
that seem to make it a tad difficult for the Philippines to establish a significant economic
position, such as competition in terms of country branding between ASEAN member states;
Nation branding is somewhat a marketing strategy employed by various countries to enhance
the assets (good parts) and reputation of their country, and the Philippines is yet to keep up
with strong nation brands established by other ASEAN member states for themselves. Nation
branding is more significant than we think as it sticks to the minds of the public such as the
“Malaysia truly Asia” campaign by Malaysia that increased tourist arrivals in the country. As
mentioned in the article, with a more flat playing field in terms of commerce, all ASEAN
members now have an equal opportunity against each other and this just certainly increases
competition. Another is that just as the AEC emphasizes each country's strong suits, it also
emphasizes the real nature of how these countries are. Our true environment and systems are
being exposed and transparent with other countries that others are realizing we have only a
few distinct features endemic to our country and likewise, can be found on the territories of
the ASEAN neighbors of the Philippines. It is only a matter of lifting our country up and
working towards creating a narrative that sets us apart from the rest of the ASEAN member
states. In relation to the aforementioned statement, the economic state, systems, and processes
of the Philippines, the ratio of poor to rich, corruption, as well as the environmental
conditions of the country's tourist attractions are some features that are now out in the open.

Yes, the Philippines may have geographic features similar to other countries comprising
ASEAN but the Philippines still has an undeniable edge–it has had very few problems in
terms of attracting tourists all over the country due to the Filipinos being known for their
hospitality and the beautiful islands such as Boracay that is at the fourth spot on the best
places to visit in Asia. The Philippines has a lot to its name, it's just that we need to be more
innovative and cautious of our progress and development in the matter of establishing our
own brand. The Philippines must work on creating a wider reach and more impactful
narrative that would also be reflected through new economic or tourism reforms, this way we
can climb up the competitive ladder and accentuate our products and services. Moreover,
properly utilizing already-existing departments in our government such as the Philippine
National Branding Council, NEDA, and the Philippine tourism department can help in
constructing a framework or roadmap for promoting specific projects and programs that are
related to the uplifting of the specialization and other products and services the country has to
offer. As was mentioned in the article, the Philippines has to start being an active player
rather than a mere bystander; other ASEAN member states are continuously developing while
the Philippines remain stagnant, or worse, regressing.