President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said he is open to the idea of Australia joining the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), highlighting the country's active participation within the regional bloc.

The President made the remarks in a recent media interview after joining the ASEAN-Australia Special Summit amid discussions regarding the potential expansion of the regional bloc.

When asked about the possibility of Australia's inclusion in ASEAN, Marcos highlighted Australia's active participation in ASEAN activities, suggesting that they are already functionally part of the organization in many aspects.

"I cannot see why that would not be a good idea. Australia has already been a very active part of ASEAN. And for all intents and purposes, really, in all but name, they are already members of ASEAN. Yes, I think they would be very welcome to join ASEAN," Marcos Jr. said.

On the topic of defense ties with Australia, President Marcos reiterated his support for joint military drills, emphasizing their importance in fostering collaboration not only in defense and security but also in disaster preparedness and assistance.

He acknowledged the significance of assessing the situation in the West Philippine Sea to determine the frequency of these exercises, suggesting that annual drills could be considered depending on evolving circumstances.

"The scheduling of this is really a risk, really depend upon the situation in the West Philippine Sea, whether or not the threat levels and the tension levels are increasing or decreasing," Marcos Jr. said.

"And as to having yearly exercises, well, that's probably something that we can discuss. But again, we will have to assess the situation at the time and if we need to continue these exercises, then I think we will be able to agree on that," Marcos Jr. added.

Marcos Jr also underscored the mutual benefits of closer cooperation with Australia, particularly in addressing shared security challenges and responding to natural disasters such as typhoons and other calamities.

"This will benefit the Philippines because we are conducting these exercises so that we are able to work together with our foreign partners," he stated.

"And when I say work together, it is not only for defense and security, it is also for disaster preparedness, disaster assistance that they might bring should there be a disaster such as Yolanda or Odette, once again, in the Philippines."