QUEZON CITY (PIA) -- The Department of Education is set to conduct series of activities throughout the country in connection with the celebration of ASEAN Month this August.

This is in compliance to Proclamation No. 282, series 2017 signed by former President Rodrigo Duterte, that the month of August is a celebration of the unity of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

As one of the five founding member countries of ASEAN, Philippines has a great role to play in strengthening the relationship between countries, cultural preservation, economic cooperation and many others.

The 55th ASEAN celebration will be chaired this year by Cambodia with the theme, “Addressing Challenges Together.” The theme underscores ASEAN’s spirit of “togetherness” as one community and the common will in the collective endeavor to address and overcome challenges facing the region.

The year 2022 was also designated as the Year of ASEAN Youth. Under the online campaign platform #ASEANyouth2022, ASEAN invites young people and partners across the region to amplify messages on their leadership in community development throughout the year.

ASEAN was established on 08 August 1967 in Bangkok, Thailand when the countries known as the Founding Fathers of ASEAN signed the ASEAN Declaration, which includes Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand.

On 07 January 1984, Brunei Darussalam joined followed by Viet nam on 28 July 1995, Lao Peoples Democratic Republic and Myanmar on 23 July 1997 and Cambodia on 30 April 1999. (DepEd-ICO/PIA-NCR)