By Dean Aubrey Caratiquet
As the Philippines continues to navigate a world laced with uncertainty and turmoil, the need for international alliances that mutually benefit Manila and its allied nations becomes an ever-important aspect of growth and diplomacy moving forward.
It is in this vein that President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. looked back at nearly six decades that have passed since the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) was established by the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand back in August 8, 1967
Through a video message uploaded on social media on Monday, the President commemorated the decades-old milestone in retrospect with the progress that ASEAN has made since its inception, which continues to mutually benefit its member states.
President Marcos Jr. went on to cite some major historical milestones that have defined the Philippine chairship of ASEAN 2026, which include the following:
- 1st year of implementation of the ASEAN Community Vision 2045
- 50th Anniversary of the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation (TAC) in Southeast Asia
- Accession of four new high contracting parties to the TAC, bringing the number of total members to 62
- Addition of Timor-Leste as the 11th member state of ASEAN
He likewise took note of the omnipresent challenges that the region faces today, “Conflicts beyond our shores including the situation in the Middle East remind us that crises affect stability, economies, and communities far beyond where they begin.
At the same time, our region is confronting deeper forces of disruption, climate change, economic uncertainty, geopolitical tension, and the rapid rise of artificial intelligence.”
It was under the context of these developments that ASEAN delegates focused their collective response on three urgent priorities: energy security, food security, and the safety of ASEAN nationals amid the situation in the Middle East.
President Marcos Jr., moreover, said that such challenges further underscored the need for ASEAN centrality and mechanisms that provide spaces for dialogue, peaceful engagement, mutual respect, and adherence to international law.
The Chief Executive concluded his video message by encouraging Filipinos to imbibe with them the lessons and values that the Philippines has learned from its countless engagements with ASEAN member states, which continues to this day.
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