Philippine Consul General in Hong Kong Antonio A. Morales underscored the primacy of ASEAN unity in issues important to the Philippines, such as issues concerning migrant workers, and in promoting and protecting their rights.
Consul General Morales, who served as Philippine ambassador to Singapore, the current chair of ASEAN, prior to being posted to Hong Kong late last year, gave the reassurances during a live interview with Singapore’s Channel News Asia (CNA) on 12 November 2018.
His comments were made in the context of the signing of the ASEAN Consensus on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights of Migrant Workers a year ago during the Philippines’ chairmanship of ASEAN in 2017.
The Philippines, which has roughly 10 percent of its 110 million population working overseas, puts tremendous importance in the welfare of overseas Filipinos and has been a consistent champion of migrant workers’ rights in various international and regional forums.
The remote 5-minute live interview, conducted by presenter Christine Chan at CNA’s Hong Kong Bureau, was aired as a side feature of the new channel’s coverage of the 33rd Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit on 11-15 November 2018 in Singapore.
Consul General Morales, who has also served in Kuala Lumpur in the course of his two decade and a half career, added that in the midst of rising protectionism and global trade issues, ASEAN will remain strong and united, and will continue to promote a free, fair and rules-based trading system.
