President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. confirmed on Friday that the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Leaders’ Summit will proceed in May despite global uncertainties stemming from the ongoing Middle East conflict.
Speaking to reporters, Marcos emphasized the importance of regional coordination at this time:
“The consensus that we came to is that it is precisely now that we must coordinate our efforts.”
The President noted that the summit will adopt a streamlined format to prioritize urgent concerns.
“As I said, it will be a very bare bones summit which will focus very closely on those three subject matters, oil, food and migrant workers,” he said.
The 11-member bloc is expected to tackle challenges related to volatile oil prices, supply disruptions, and the potential impact on food security and overseas workers across Southeast Asia.
Meanwhile, Batangas 1st District Representative Leandro Leviste filed House Resolution No. 911, proposing a reduction in the Philippines’ hosting budget for the summit from ₱22 billion to ₱10 billion.
Leviste argued that the savings could be redirected toward fuel relief programs, stressing the need for fiscal discipline amid rising global costs.
The summit comes at a time when governments across the region are navigating economic pressures linked to geopolitical tensions and market instability, underscoring ASEAN’s role as a platform for collective response.