PART 1) What is one issue in Southeast Asia that you are most concerned about,

and describe two of your recommended solutions in alleviating this pressing

issue. (Minimum 400 words)*
One of the most pressing issues in growing economies like Southeast Asia
is the lack of social protection to women in the informal sector. According to UN
Women (2015), 95 % of womens employment in developing regions is informal.
Despite the contribution of women in the informal economy to economic
development, these jobs are not protected by labor laws and often lack the
necessary social security provisions on education and health. As a result, women
in the informal economy constitute one of the most vulnerable sectors in
Southeast Asia, who suffer from unsafe and poor working conditions, irregular
employment, below-minimum wages or even unpaid labor and poverty.
To alleviate the lack of social protection of women in the informal sector, I
recommend the institutionalization of participatory decision-making in the
creation of innovative reforms and policies, as well as the establishment of a
legal framework that enhance informal workers rights.
A. Participatory Decision-Making and Citizen Empowerment
First, women in the informal sector must be at the forefront in
consultations on policies and projects that address their social protection needs,
as well as representation in major decision-making bodies in government. A
bottom-up approach in the decision-making processes can ensure the
establishment of policies and projects that are inclusive of and sensitive to the
needs of the employed women in the informal economy. Instead of relying on
experts and technocrats alone, involving the citizens in the decision-making
process can shed a deeper light on the issue at stake, considering that they are
immersed into these realities of life at a day-to-day basis.
B. Legal Framework on Informal Workers Rights
Following the empowerment of citizens in the decision-making arena, the
succeeding recommendation is the establishment of a legal safety net through a
law mandating the social protection of women informal workers. Again, this bill
should not just be crafted in a black box but a result of a combination of a series
of consultation and research involving the citizens, policy-makers and experts.
Furthermore, the passage of a bill ensuring the rights of informal workers can be
achieved through the active lobbying of civil society organizations (CSOs) and
lawmakers in prioritizing the bill.
As an ardent advocate of the rights of women in the informal economy,
these two proposals, namely institutionalizing participatory programs and policies
and legalizing informal workers rights, can help alleviate the lack of social
protection provision among women informal workers in Southeast Asian
countries. These recommendations, are also geared towards a sustainable and
long-term approach in enhancing the social protection rights of women in the
informal economy because of strategically combining social and legal
frameworks within the policy-making and implementation arena.

Reference:
UN Women (2015). Financing: Why it matters for women and girls.
http://www.unwomen.org/en/news/in-focus/financing-for-genderequality#sthash.SkEnycnT.dpuf (Date accessed: 8 August 2015)
PART 2) Explain your motivations behind your application for SEAGULL 2016,
and why you should be selected. (Minimum 200 words)*
Armed with the vision of multidisciplinarity and innovation in solving the critical
societal issues and concerns of today, I am motivated to apply in SEAGULL 2016
because of it serves as a one-in-a-lifetime avenue for undergraduate students
training and immersion as Southeast Asias future change-makers.
What drives me to apply for SEAGULL is the Philippines need of transformative
leaders who can innovate and adapt to the current demand for good governance.
I believe that the answers the countrys most pressing issues in the areas of
disaster management, public transportation system, poverty alleviation and
corruption cannot be found within the borders of government alone. Instead, the
road to good governance is a shared project of the different sectors in the society
labor, women, indigenous peoples (IPs), business and governmentdoing its
share in making the world a better place.
As an undergraduate student of global politics and development management, I
hope to contribute in spearheading a discourse from a political analyst and
development studies perspective. My two-tiered background offers an enriching
and multidisciplinary approach to the discussions in the conference because it
bridges the parameters of politics with the outcomes and objectives of a
development management framework. With my professional experience as an
intern in the government (Senate of the Philippines and Department of Interior
and Local Government) and international organizations (United Nations
Development Programme- Philippine Country Office), I hope to bring in an
objective and grounded viewpoint to the issues tackled in the conference.
In sum, I am motivated to apply for SEAGULL 2016 because I see it as a twofaceted approach to learning as a training ground in improving my capacities as a
future change-maker and an opportunity for me to join the discourse and engage
in action towards addressing the societal issues and concerns. As a Filipino
representative of SEAGULL, I can offer a unique and dynamic perspective
coming from the lens of a student leader who grew up in the province, learning
political scientist and young development manager with a first-hand experience
of the challenges and experience from a developing country in both rural and
urban areas in the Republic of the Philippines.
PART 3) With reference to http://ed.ted.com/on/pm18rxcv (copy link in separate
window), view the video from 0:13 secs to 10:48 secs before reading the

questions presented under the column 'THINK'. Write your response below.
(Minimum 200 words)*
BBC World Have Your Say: Does Intervention Work?
The Responsibility to Protect (R2P), as an emerging yet contested norm in
international intervention, is a complex and critical area in international relations
that intersect with the concepts of state sovereignty and international peace and
security. As of today, no international treaty has definitively established the
parameters of international intervention, which is why it has long been prone to a
lot of interpretations and unconstructive criticisms.
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), as part of the United
Nations Asia-Pacific Group, is bound by the principles of international
cooperation and sovereign equality of all nations (UN Charter).
From an ASEAN perspective, international intervention in terms of humanitarian
affairs as in the cases of disaster response and rehabilitation as well as
protection of refugees has been a practice and a reality among Southeast Asian
nations. To put the argument into context, ASEAN was actively involved in
facilitating the disaster relief and recovery needs of the Philippine Government
during the aftermath of typhoon Haiyan (ASEAN Secretariat News 2013).
Furthermore, during the 26th ASEAN Summit, regional parliamentarians argue
that the Rohingya crisis or the protection of 500,000 Rohingya refugees within
the ASEAN borders is not just a Myanmar problem they are an ASEAN
problem (Barron 2015).
However, to answer the question as to whether ASEAN countries should
intervene in cases wherein they disagree with how another ASEAN country is
handling a certain issue is another thing. The grounds for intervention must be
identified and backed-up by facts and evidence. Is there a threat or breach to
international peace and security such as proven cases of torture, genocide or
use of weapons of mass destruction (WMDs)? Is there a violation of international
laws, treaties or conventions on the protection of social, economic and political
rights of individuals? The second highlighted criteria for international intervention
is one of the many gray areas in tackling the responsibility to protect, which
reflects the complexity of international intervention. Considering the vast array of
differences of ASEAN countries in terms of government, religion, ethnicity or
identities, their conception of human rights also diverge. For example, the
promotion and building of democracy in Southeast Asian countries has been
targeted as the foundation of ASEAN regional security. However, a few of ASEAN
countries are still governed by undemocratic policies.
To address the issue of international intervention in the ASEAN region, I
recommend the adoption of a diplomatic framework in the resolution of cases
through the UN Security Council and international courts such as the
International Court of Justice for cases involving grave human rights violation or

land settlement disputes. In addition, international arbitration for cases involving

a member states business affairs may also be considered as an alternative in
settling legal dispute. The use of a legal and diplomatic framework in the
resolution of cases involving the issue of international intervention may avert the
escalation of tension or violence among ASEAN member states.
Looking at it from an ASEAN context, where would you stand on this issue?
Given the migration of multiple ethnic groups from many ASEAN countries, it is
now common to find people of all races and religions in one country.
Should ASEAN countries intervene (judicially, for instance) if they disagree with
how another ASEAN country is handling an issue? It may not be as critical as
genocide / war, but it may concern issues of law and justice, criminal cases,
human rights, religious rights and so on. What are your recommendations
pertaining to this, and why is it a complex issue in the ASEAN region?
This video presents multiple perspectives on the justification of global
intervention.
Some argue that countries have the right to intervene when they feel that other
countries are in need of their help, and that they bear a responsibility to their
neighbouring countries, whether or not the people suffering are related to them.
Others offer a differing view: other countries do not have the right to determine
another country's future and justice. In other words, stay out of another country's
affairs.
References:
ASEAN Secretariat News. (2013, November 11). ASEAN offers support to
Philippine
Government
in
the
wake
of
Typhoon
Haiyan.
http://www.asean.org/news/asean-secretariat-news/item/asean-offers-support-tophilippine-government-in-the-wake-of-typhoon-haiyan (Date accessed: 8 August
2015)
Barron, L. (2015, April 23). Regional MPs warn of Rohingya crisis ahead of
ASEAN meeting. Myanmar Times. http://www.mmtimes.com/index.php/nationalnews/14085-regional-mps-warn-of-rohingya-crisis-ahead-of-asean-meeting.html
(Date accessed: 8 August 2015)
United
Nations.
(n.d.).
Charter
of
the
United
Nations.
http://www.un.org/en/documents/charter/ (Date accessed: 9 April 2015)
Maria Elissa Jayme-Lao, D.P.A.
Chair, Department of Political Science
Assistant Professor, Department of Political Science
mlao@ateneo.edu

426-6001 loc. 5250

Emmanuel Buendia
Team Leader, United Nations Development Programme, Philippine Country
Office, Democratic Governance
Email: emmanuel.buendia@undp.org
Phone number: (632) 9010225
Fax Numbers: (632) 9010200, (632) 8897177