29 August 2017, Dubai, UAE. Five Business Councils from Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand hosted a Special ASEAN Day on 8 August 2017 at the H Hotel Ballroom in celebration of the Golden Anniversary of the Foundation of ASEAN. The participation of the five ASEAN Consuls General in Dubai and the Charge d’ Affaires of the Bruneian Embassy in Abu Dhabi highlighted the event attended by over 300 members of the ASEAN business communities in Dubai.

     In his remarks, Philippine Consul General Paul Raymund Cortes stressed the need for the ASEAN community to continue moving forward toward a more people-oriented and people-centered regional organization, one that is more responsive to the needs of the global community and more engaged with its constituencies. Consul General Cortes also emphasized the need to partner among and between the government and the various stakeholders for ASEAN to be more attuned to the voice of its people, keeping in mind the gains we have achieved in the past 50 years. END