By Brian Campued
In light of the challenges posed by the ongoing tensions in the Middle East, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has ordered a recalibration of the Philippines’ hosting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) 2026 summits and related meetings.
In a media interview in Silang, Cavite on Friday, the President said he had already consulted with fellow Southeast Asian leaders and agreed to proceed with the conduct of the 48th ASEAN Leaders’ Summit and Related Summits in May—albeit in a “very bare bones” manner.
“The consensus that we came to is that, it is precisely now that we must coordinate our efforts. So, that is what we are going to do. Ipapatuloy natin ‘yung ASEAN Summit, ngunit ito ay… The way that we described it… it is a bare bones ASEAN Summit,” Marcos said, noting that the focus will be on oil, food, and migrant workers.
“Ang kailangan talaga sa panahon na ito ay makapag-usap kaming mga leader upang malaman natin kung ano, what do we do in the future? What do we do for the rest of the year? What do we do? How can we help each other? And what is the ASEAN position regarding all of these shocks that are coming our way?”
Meanwhile, Marcos clarified that the 49th ASEAN Summit and Related Summits, scheduled in November, will “tentatively” push through, as other world leaders are expected to attend the engagement.
ASEAN National Organizing Committee (NOC) chair and Executive Secretary Ralph Recto, in a memorandum dated March 26, announced that all 650 preparatory meetings will be held virtually.
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) is likewise tasked to lead diplomatic briefings and coordinate necessary adjustments.
According to Recto, scaling down non-essential activities will help “save on expenses and focus on the most important” matters, noting that savings will be realigned to programs aimed at cushioning the impact of the global oil crisis on the Filipino people.
“Ang gusto natin ay siguraduhin na ang ASEAN ay tumutugon sa tunay na problema ng karaniwang mamamayan, hindi lang ng Pilipinas, pero sa buong rehiyon,” Recto said.
“Hindi ito panahon para sa engrandeng seremonya. Panahon ito ng mabilis na aksyon, pagtutulungan, at konkretong solusyon,” he added.
-avds
