The Philippines officially launched its ASEAN 2026 Chairship last November 14. Under the banner “Navigating Our Future, Together”, Manila laid out its three main priorities of peace and security anchors, prosperity corridors, and people empowerment. The focus under each pillar is as follows:
Political - Security
- Reinforcing regional peace and stability through norms-based dialogue
- Building resilience against emerging security challenges, including climate-related risks
- Advancing maritime cooperation anchored in international law and ASEAN Centrality
Economic
- Boosting trade and investment linkages
- Accelerating digital transformation
- Integrating ASEAN’s MSME development agenda
- Leveraging the creative economy
- Advancing sustainable and inclusive economic growth
Socio - Cultural
- Empowering families and vulnerable groups
- Strengthening regional public health cooperation
- Promoting youth innovation and digital literacy, including responsible AI use
- Enhancing food security and climate resilience
Furthermore, during his speech, President Marcos emphasized leveraging artificial intelligence to address evolving challenges – from early-warning systems, maritime domain awareness, to disaster response, and boosting regional economic integration.
At the 47thASEAN Summit in Malaysia last October President Marcos called for closer ASEAN collaboration to enhance supply chain resilience, reflecting Manila’s priority to safeguard food access amid global disruptions. The Philippines also showcased its leadership in MSME digitalization and cross-border payment systems, aligning its efforts with ASEAN’s upcoming Digital Economy Framework Agreement (DEFA).
