President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. will participate in the 47th ASEAN Summit and Related Summits in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, from October 26 to 28, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) announced Friday.
DFA spokesperson Angelica Escalona said the President will join Southeast Asian leaders, dialogue partners, and international organizations at the invitation of Malaysian Prime Minister Datu Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who serves as this year’s ASEAN chair.
“The summit is a mechanism for leaders to provide policy direction for ASEAN, build consensus on matters of mutual interest, and exchange views on key regional and international issues,” Escalona said.
During the three-day event, President Marcos is scheduled to attend 14 leaders’ meetings and three signing ceremonies.
Among the key engagements is the signing of the declaration admitting Timor-Leste as ASEAN’s 11th member. The President will also witness the signing of the Second Protocol to Amend the ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement (ATIGA) and the ASEAN-China Free Trade Area 3.0 Upgrade.
“In all these engagements, the President will advance Philippine interests in ASEAN by strengthening security and stability, enhancing economic cooperation, and broadening engagement with dialogue partners,” Escalona added.
Regional and global issues—including the situation in Myanmar, economic uncertainties, and other geopolitical and geoeconomic challenges—are expected to dominate discussions among ASEAN leaders.
The DFA said about 80 outcome documents are set to be issued, adopted, or noted during the summit series, reflecting the bloc’s consensus on various political, security, and economic matters.
President Marcos is also expected to hold several bilateral meetings with fellow heads of government on the sidelines of the summit.
On the final day, October 28, Malaysia will formally hand over the ASEAN chairship to the Philippines.
Escalona said the Philippines will “take this opportunity to introduce how we will steer the future of the region and beyond by galvanizing community-building efforts during our chairship.”
The 2026 ASEAN chairmanship will mark the Philippines’ fifth time to lead the regional bloc since its founding in 1967.
