The Philippines and ASEAN at Forty: Achievements, Challenges, and Prospects in Regional Security Cooperation*

Introduction Since its establishment in 1967, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has gone a long way in its regional cooperation. From an association of states in Southeast Asia tasked to merely promote economic, social, and cultural cooperation, ASEAN has dramatically metamorphosed into a regional grouping that promotes security cooperation among its member states, particularly in the area of defense and military affairs.