President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. issued a stark warning to Southeast Asian leaders on Friday, stating that the fallout from current global conflicts will haunt the region long after the fighting stops.
Addressing the retreat session of the 48th ASEAN Summit in Cebu, Marcos highlighted how the Middle East crisis has laid bare the deep-seated vulnerabilities of interconnected regional economies.
The President noted that while member states feel the pressure differently, the long-term consequences of global instability are unavoidable.
“And while the impact may differ from country to country in ASEAN at present, there is no denying that this disruption will have an impact on the future,” Marcos said.
“Even if the tensions de-escalate in time, the damage to critical infrastructure, to vital systems, and trust in general will continue to be felt for years to come.”
The session focused on the “domino effect” of oil supply disruptions and rising energy costs sparked by tensions between Iran, Israel, and the United States.
Marcos emphasized that these shocks have fundamentally altered the regional way of life.
“The domino effect of oil supply disruptions… has affected how we conduct business, how we work, [and] how we live,” he said.
While the ASEAN Community Vision 2045 already accounts for resource insecurity and geopolitical rivalry, the President urged the bloc to accelerate institutional reforms and coordination to mitigate these risks.
“A few weeks’ worth of disruptions will take years to be corrected,” he warned.