The Philippines has made history by hosting the inaugural High-Level Conference of the High Contracting Parties to the ASEAN Treaty of Amity and Cooperation (TAC), an event marked by the accession of four European nations—Sweden, Poland, Romania, and Lithuania—to the regional peace accord.
Speaking at a Malacañang Palace dinner commemorating the treaty’s 50th anniversary, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. highlighted Manila’s enduring legacy with the agreement.
“Manila also served as the venue for the signing of the protocol that opened the treaty to states outside of Southeast Asia, allowing its principles to echo even further beyond the founding nations,” Marcos said.
“Today, as ASEAN chair, the Philippines is once again honored to host another historic first— the convening of the inaugural High-Level Conference of the High Contracting Parties.”
Originally signed in Bali, Indonesia in 1976, the TAC serves as ASEAN’s core framework for fostering peace, stability, and regional cooperation.
According to Foreign Affairs Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro, the milestone conference centered on key issues including maritime security, conflict prevention, preventive diplomacy, and emerging regional challenges.
The event held personal significance for President Marcos, whose late father, former President Ferdinand Marcos Sr., was one of the original signatories of the 1976 agreement.
“This commemoration is also deeply personal. Fifty years ago, one of the leaders seated at that historic table in Bali was the 10th President of the Republic of the Philippines- my father, Ferdinand Edralin Marcos,” he reflected.
“I was very young at that time. I could not have imagined what that document would one day mean for the Philippines and even for the wider world.”
Describing the occasion as a full-circle moment, Marcos affirmed Malacañang’s role as a haven for diplomacy and international partnership.
“Upon these tables rest the agreements that shape economies, bolster relations among nations, deepen cultural understanding, and, ultimately, preserve peace,” Marcos added.