ASEAN jobs for RP professionals

By Noel Adlai O. Velasco, Philippine Daily Inquirer, 06:19:00 03/01/2009 

BANGKOK/CHA-AM, Thailand—Filipino doctors, dentists and accountants will soon be able to practice their professions in other countries in the region with the signing on Thursday of three agreements by the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). 

The agreements—signed at the start of the four-day 14th Asean Summit at the Dusit Thani Hotel in Cha-am, Thailand—are the Asean Mutual Recognition Arrangements (MRAs) on Medical Practitioners, on Dental Practitioners and on Accountancy Services. 

The MRAs will allow Filipino doctors, dentists and accountants to work in other countries in the region without being obliged to pass these countries’ board examinations. 

But the MRAs will not take effect immediately, according to Pushpanathan Sundram, the Asean deputy secretary general. 

“We have to work out the details. There is a process that needs to be followed,” Pushpanathan said in an interview. 

Ambassador Donald Dee, the special envoy of the Philippines for trade negotiations, also told the Inquirer as much. 

Only 1 in effect 

Pushpanathan said the MRAs were just facilitating agreements. 

He said licensure examinations had to be harmonized so that professionals who passed such exams in their home countries would not have to be retested in their host countries. 

Pushpanathan said an MRA on engineering had taken effect and was being implemented. Some Filipino engineers are now working in Thailand and Laos. 

At the 13th Asean summit in 2007 held in Singapore, similar arrangements were signed covering architectural services and surveying. Those covering engineers and nurses were signed earlier. 

Boosting trade 

But only the MRA covering engineers has taken effect. 

“We need to compare our standards so the quality of services is acceptable within the region,” Asean Secretary General Surin Pitsuwan said. 

The three MRAs were among the eight agreements signed by ASEAN economic ministers aimed at boosting trade, investment and employment in the region. 

Trade Secretary Peter Favila signed for the Philippines. 

The other pacts are the ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement (Atiga), the ASEAN Comprehensive Investment Agreement (Acia), the Protocol to Implement the 7th Package of Commitments under the ASEAN Framework Agreement on Services (Afas), the MRA on Good Manufacturing Practice of Medicinal Products, and the memorandum of understanding between Thailand and Indonesia on sugar under the Protocol to Provide Consideration for Rice and Sugar. 

Revised, improved 

“These agreements allow for a streamlined, consolidated, predictable and transparent set of rules for us to achieve our goals of a single market and production base by 2015,” Surin said. 

Surin said the Atiga and Acia had been revised and improved to achieve ASEAN’s goals. 

The Atiga integrates all existing and new ASEAN commitments and initiatives related to trade in goods in one comprehensive framework. 

Among others, this agreement covers tariff liberalization, elimination of non-tariff barriers, rules of origin, trade facilitation, customs procedures, standards and conformance, and sanitary and phytosanitary measures. 

It is expected to facilitate trade in the region by streamlining and simplifying procedures in order to allow for easier flow of goods and trade at regional and international levels. 

The Acia is expected to strengthen investment liberalization and protection and reduce uncertainties and transaction costs of investment in ASEAN. 

Free access to jobs 

On the other hand, the 7th Afas Protocol institutes new mechanisms and measures for free access to jobs without the need for working visas anywhere in the region. 

It is expected to benefit thousands of overseas Filipino workers.