President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. said the upcoming Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit in May will proceed on schedule but in a scaled-down format, focusing on key regional concerns including oil supply, food security and migrant workers.
The President said the summit, set for May 7 and 8, would be a “very bare bones” gathering aimed at addressing urgent economic and social issues affecting the region.
“So, that is — ‘yun ang nagiging usapan sa (how the discussion is going with) ASEAN. Tuloy tayo sa (We will proceed on) May 7, May 8,” the president said, noting that discussions would center closely on “oil, food, and migrant workers.”
Meanwhile, the Department of Foreign Affairs on Friday (DFA) said that South China Sea discussions, including the Code of Conduct (COC) talks, will proceed even as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit prioritizes energy, food, and migrant worker issues.
In a message to reporters, DFA ASEAN Spokesperson Dax Imperial said this streamlining responds to the energy crisis caused by ongoing Middle East tensions.
“Discussions and engagements on COC negotiations, as well as other agenda items within ASEAN, will continue,” Imperial said.
“While we are putting more focus on the most important issues, we continue to work on other areas important to the country and the region,” he added.
In late January, DFA Secretary Theresa Lazaro announced that ASEAN member-states’ technical working groups will meet face-to-face monthly to accelerate negotiations on a binding COC, which the bloc aims to finalize this year under Philippine chairship.
Mr. Marcos clarified that there are no changes yet to the planned leaders’ summit later this year, saying discussions about the November meeting have not been finalized.
“Hindi natin pinag-uusapan muna ‘yung sa November (We’re not discussing the one in November yet),” the President said.
He added, however, that the later summit remains tentatively scheduled, stressing its importance as it is expected to bring together leaders from outside the region, including those from Europe, China, South Korea and Japan.
“So, it’s going to be very important also,” President Marcos said, noting that preparations would be reassessed around September or October depending on the availability and participation of other world leaders. “But right now, we’re focused on the summit in May.”
The president also responded to calls from a lawmaker to reduce the ASEAN budget and reallocate funds to sectors affected by the ongoing crisis.
“Ginawa na namin. Tapos na ‘yun. (We already did it. It’s done). That’s exactly why we did this,” Mr. Marcos said, indicating that adjustments to spending had already been made.
The ASEAN summit comes as member-states grapple with rising oil prices, food supply challenges, and concerns over the welfare of migrant workers following the ongoing tension in the Middle East region.
