For today’s conference, the organizers have chosen for us to look at the Philippine financial system through the lens of ASEAN financial integration. I particularly like the operative word of today’s theme – “transforming”. The word evokes movement over time, change, reaction, adaptation. In other words – dynamism. This is what really is needed in a time of flux.
But perhaps what we need to be reminded of is that our regional operating environment has already been changing even before recent times when ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) and ASEAN integration have become more talked about.