Bangkok, Thailand - The Institute for Labor Studies Executive Director Jeanette T. Damo served as the Philippine representative of the Senior Labour Officials Meeting (SLOM) at the Regional Workshop on the End-Term Review of the Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity (MPAC) 2025 and the Development of the ASEAN Connectivity Strategic Plan (ACSP) held from September 2 to 4, in Bangkok, Thailand.

The regional workshop was essential to facilitate participatory discussions among ASEAN Member States (AMS) to know the progress and intended outcomes of the MPAC 2025 and obtain feedback from stakeholders to improve the implementation of the Draft ASEAN Community Vision (ACV) 2045. The ACSP is among the documents created to enhance regional connectivity under the ACV, and covers six areas including “sustainable infrastructure, smart and sustainable urban development, digital innovation, seamless logistics and supply chains, regulatory excellence and cooperation, people-to-people connectivity,” and integration of cross-cutting themes such as “the promotion of sustainability, gender equality and inclusion, and climate change.”

ED Damo was joined by OIC-Regional Director Imelda E. Romanillos of DOLE Regional Office V, and Chief Labor and Employment Officer May C. Velonta of DOLE Regional Office XIII.

The three-day regional workshop involved officials from AMS, chairs of ASEAN Sectoral Bodies, development partners, sectoral dialogue partners, regional and sub-regional arrangements, private sector and business associations, international organizations, and multilateral development banks.

The development of ACSP is led by the ASEAN Connectivity Coordinating Committee, together with ASEAN Sectoral Bodies, and the ASEAN Secretariat, with support from the Australian Government through Australia for ASEAN Futures Initiative and the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia.

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