Hindi Urong: Marcos Says ASEAN Summit Will Push Through With Crisis Agenda

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said the Philippines will still host the ASEAN Leaders’ Summit in May despite the war in the Middle East, rejecting any delay even as global shocks continue to hit oil and food markets. In remarks reported by The Manila Times, Marcos said regional coordination is more necessary now precisely because the crisis is already affecting the region.

Speaking to media in Silang, Cavite, the President said he consulted other ASEAN member states about whether the summit should be postponed. According to him, the consensus was to move forward. Instead of staging a broad and ceremonial gathering, Marcos described the planned meeting as a more stripped-down or ‘bare-bones’ summit focused on urgent problems.

The agenda will reportedly center on oil supply, food security, and the welfare of migrant workers. Those are not small side topics — they go straight to the heart of what Southeast Asian governments are now trying to stabilize as the conflict abroad creates economic and labor risks at home. For the Philippines, that includes fuel pressures and worries over overseas workers in affected areas.

Marcos said leaders need direct talks on how to respond not just for the coming weeks, but for the rest of the year. In other words, this summit is being framed less as a diplomatic photo op and more as a crisis-coordination session. Practical moves, not ceremony, ang gustong tutukan.

If that plan holds, the summit could become a key moment for ASEAN to present a more unified response to rising external shocks. It also signals that Manila wants to project steadiness while hosting even under tense global conditions. The bigger test, of course, is whether the meeting produces concrete cooperation on energy, food, and migrant protection instead of just another carefully worded statement.

Source: https://www.manilatimes.net/2026/03/27/news/marcos-asean-meet-to-push-through-in-may/2308991