MAJORITY of Dabawenyos are not aware of the Asean Integration, says the latest Ateneo De Davao University survey.
Based on the City Wide Social Survey Series 8 (CWSS 8) survey conducted last October 21 to 26, 2017, administered by Social Research Training and Development Office (SRTDO) of Ateneo de Davao University, only 16.3 percent of Dabawenyos are aware of the Asean Integration, while 83.7 percent are unaware of it.
Sixty percent of those who said they are aware of Asean Integration believed that it can help in economic cooperation; 26.2 percent believed that it will help with the exchange of goods and services; 9.7 percent believed that it will help in military cooperation among Southeast Asian Countries; and 7.8 percent believed that it will have an effect on liberalization of economic policies.
Social media got the highest percentage as the source of information for the Asean Integration with 52.4 percent, followed by television with 29.7% and relatives with 11.7 percent.
A total of 47.6 percent agreed that Asean Integration will have positive impact in Mindanao; 18.4 percent strongly agreed; while 11.7 percent answered they do not know.
As to the preferred Asean country for employment, 62.1 percent chose Singapore; 29.1 percent preferred Thailand; and 20.4 percent preferred Malaysia. Indonesia got 11.7 percent; followed by Myanmar (6.8 percent), Cambodia (5.8 percent), and Vietnam (4.8 percent).
Singapore also got the high percentage as the most preferred Asean Country for children’s education with 50.5 percent. This is only few percent higher to the Philippines which got 46.6 percent and Thailand 22.3 percent.
The Asean Integration aims for free-flowing trade, labor force, goods and services within the Asean member countries.