By Dean Aubrey Caratiquet
As final details about the preparations for the upcoming 49th ASEAN Summit and Related Summits are being sorted out, some concerns were raised about the optics presented to the heads-of-state and officials who would attend the event.
Some netizens pointed out that some of these measures allegedly “conceal” the reality of the Philippines that would be witnessed by delegates during their brief stay in the cities of Pasay and Parañaque.
Others also went on to question the rationale behind the clearing operations, which only happen during major events and are never sustained through routine activities.
There were also sectors who expressed woes about the effect of closures within the vicinity of the Summit proper, noting that these would affect local businesses and transport workers plying routes that pass through these zones.
In response to these, Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Undersecretary and Palace Press Officer Claire Castro underscored the importance of security as the topmost priority in the Summit preparations.
Usec. Castro told the media in a briefing Tuesday, “Ang Pangulo at ang administrasyon ay focused kung paano maisasaayos at makukumpleto ang preparasyon na ito, hindi lang para sa Pilipino kundi para ipakita sa buong mundo kung gaano kaprepara ang Pilipinas sa pagho-host ng ASEAN Summit.”
She likewise noted that the government has prepared interventions to aid sectors that would be affected by the temporary pause in operations during the three-day Summit, as well as assured that the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) would strive to maintain cleanliness in these areas even after the 49th ASEAN Summit comes to an end.
Meanwhile, when asked whether President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. remains optimistic about the finalization of the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea under the Philippine chairship of the ASEAN Summit, the Malacañang official deferred the question to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).
The Chief Executive is expected to facilitate an inspection of the finishing touches to the months-long preparations being undertaken ahead of the 49th ASEAN Summit and Related Summits, which will be held from November 16-18, 2026.
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