Amid global pressures, Marcos cites unity among ASEAN members

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DIPLOMACY and subregional cooperation took center stage in Cebu on Friday, May 8, as President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. opened the 48th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit and Related Meetings at the Mactan Expo in Lapu-Lapu City.

Marcos welcomed heads of state and delegates from all 10 ASEAN member states and led the opening ceremony attended by ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn.

First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos joined him in receiving visiting leaders and their spouses.

Marcos said ASEAN faces mounting global pressures affecting economies, security, and livelihoods.

“We meet at a time of considerable challenge across our region and beyond,” Marcos said, citing instability in the Middle East.

“The work of ASEAN must continue, not despite the challenges, but because the times demand our answers to those challenges," he added.

He said the Philippines adjusted its hosting by scaling down non-essential activities and shifting some meetings online due to external pressures linked to the Middle East conflict.

ASEAN leaders continued coordination through ministerial meetings on foreign affairs, trade, agriculture, and energy, as discussions focused on regional stability and economic resilience.

“For ASEAN has always drawn its strength not from uniformity but from unity,” Marcos said.

Leaders from Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste, and Viet Nam attended the formal sessions that followed the opening ceremony.

Myanmar sent a representative from its Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

At the sidelines of the ASEAN Summit, Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines approved the BIMP-EAGA Vision 2035, setting a 10-year roadmap for the Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area, with a focus on underserved regions including Mindanao and Palawan.

Secretary Leo Tereso Magno, chairperson of the Mindanao Development Authority, described the summit as “a very defining moment.”

During a press briefing at the International Media Center after the opening ceremony, Magno said leaders reviewed progress under the previous framework and adopted a new direction for the next decade.

“This is to make sure that the underserved areas within the four countries, particularly the whole of the sultanate of Brunei, and for the Philippines—Mindanao, and Palawan, areas in Indonesia and in Malaysia,” Magno said.

Magno said leaders approved the conceptual framework during last year’s meeting in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, while technical work continued over the past year with support from the Asian Development Bank.

“This outlines the Philippines' commitment to inclusive growth, resilience, and regional stability,” he said.

Leaders issued a joint statement reaffirming BIMP-EAGA as “a dynamic platform for sub-regional cooperation” and recognized gains under the BIMP-EAGA Vision 2025.

Under the new framework, member countries agreed to pursue four strategic outcomes.

Magno said this includes climate-smart agro-industry and fisheries, seamless travel and sustainable tourism, stronger production hubs, and an agile workforce prepared for future demands.

Magno reported expansion in infrastructure priorities, noting that projects increased from 57 in 2015 to 217 last year and 265 this year.

He said the Philippines pushed for stronger use of public-private partnerships to accelerate development in underserved areas.

“The President reiterated the importance and cited some of the accomplishments of our country and encouraged the four other countries to utilize the public-private partnership mode to bring in development in underserved areas,” Magno said.

He added that member countries are shifting from reliance on official development assistance toward partnerships with the private sector and international groups.(MyTVCebu)