Governor Edgar Chatto is set to issue a directive mandating all government offices in the province to sing the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Anthem as part of regular flag-raising ceremonies.
Chatto, during the Provincial Peace and Order Council meeting on Monday, urged legislators to officially order the inclusion of the singing of the ASEAN anthem during official government functions as sign of support to the 10-nation bloc.
According to Chatto, he thought of the measure after he noticed that the Department of Education (DepEd) has started to implement the singing of the hymn during morning ceremonies.
The anthem will be sung after the singing of Lupang Hinirang, Awit sa Bohol and hymns of various towns, Chatto said.
Private institutions will also be urged to include the singing of the ASEAN Anthem during official gatherings, he added.
Meanhwile, Provincial Legal Officer and acting Provincial Administrator John Boiser was tasked to carry out initial steps for the measure’s implementation.
Boiser was directed to coordinate with DepEd officials to get an official copy and lyrics of the song, Chatto said.
The governor also requested League of Municipalities of the Philippines Bohol Chapter president Clarin Mayor Allen Piezas to relay the new development to other local chief executives as the province is set to host another ASEAN event.
Bohol has hosted three conferences of the ASEAN in 2017 alone, and more are expected to be held after the success of the previous gatherings which were all held in the resort town of Panglao.
In 2015, the ASEAN launched the ASEAN Economic Community to pave way for economic integration among the 10-nation region which has been touted as among the largest economies across the world.
The initiative was crafted to push for the establishment of a single market and production base with free flow of goods services, labor investments and capital across ASEAN, strengthening its competitiveness in the global community.(RT)