The Philippines will work to ensure that maritime security remains a key priority of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), National Security Adviser Eduardo Año said Friday.
Speaking at a forum organized by the Stratbase ADR Institute, Año said the Philippines, as ASEAN chair this year, would push for stronger regional cooperation in maritime governance.
“As the ASEAN chair, the Philippines will work to ensure that maritime security remains central to ASEAN centrality,” Año said during the forum titled “Safeguarding the Maritime Domain of the Free and Open Indo-Pacific.”
He said Manila would pursue mechanisms for a more coordinated regional approach, including improved maritime domain awareness, expanded maritime exercises, and stronger adherence to international law.
“ASEAN centrality must be principled and grounded in respect for sovereignty and the peaceful settlement of disputes,” Año said.
He warned that growing tensions in strategic waterways and militarization in contested seas highlight the need to safeguard maritime stability, noting that developments beyond Southeast Asia also affect the region.
Año said the stability of the Indo-Pacific is vital to the global economy, with about 60 percent of world trade passing through its sea lanes and most digital traffic transmitted through submarine cables beneath its waters.
He added that illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, along with climate change, continues to threaten marine ecosystems, food security and coastal livelihoods.
“Maritime security is a collective good that no single state can safeguard alone,” Año said, urging greater cooperation to keep the Indo-Pacific “free and open.”
