‘Navigating Our Future, Together’: Philippines assumes ASEAN chairship

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia – As the 47th ASEAN Summit concludes here, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has turned over the chairmanship gavel to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., marking the start of the Philippines’ leadership of the regional bloc.

In the turnover ceremony at the Plenary Hall in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Marcos thanked Ibrahim for steering ASEAN with clarity and conviction.

“I commend not only Your Excellency’s leadership, but also the steady hands and warm hospitality of the government of Malaysia. You have shown us that ASEAN makes the greatest strides when vision is matched with pragmatism,” he said.

“As your Chairship concludes, the Philippines is honored to take on the responsibility of leading ASEAN from 2026,” he added.

Marcos emphasized the Philippines’ commitment to carrying Malaysia’s momentum in ASEAN forward, particularly in implementing the ASEAN Community Vision 2045 in its first year.

“We look forward to working closely with you in the months ahead as we bring the priorities of the Philippines, and, of course, that of ASEAN, to realization,” he said.

ASEAN is the region’s ‘ship’

Peace, prosperity, and people empowerment — this is what the Philippines will be focusing on in its chairship of ASEAN under the theme “Navigating Our Future, Together.”

According to Marcos, 2026 will be the year when the whole region will “set full sail together toward our shared horizon.”

“These main priorities will serve as our compass, guiding ASEAN toward a future where peace, prosperity, and people remain at the heart of all that we say and all that we do,” he said. “This reflects not just our aspirations, but our resolve to ensure that ASEAN’s integration agenda translates into real opportunities — for businesses to grow, for communities to thrive, and for progress to be inclusive, sustainable, and shared by all.”

He also looked back at the 2017 chairship of ASEAN, when the Philippines steered the organization in consolidating gains from nearly half a century.

“In 2026, as we commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation (TAC), we will continue to champion peace and stability through dialogue, adherence to international law, and enhanced cooperation on traditional and non-traditional security issues,” he said.

Stable and secure region

For Marcos, chairing ASEAN marks a defining moment for the regional bloc, characterized by both promise and complexity.

“For though the tides of change may be unpredictable, our compass must remain constant, anchored in cooperation. It must be oriented toward maintaining a stable and secure region, built upon a shared vision of an open, inclusive, transparent, and rules-based ASEAN regional architecture,” he said.

“With the Philippines at the helm, we will continue to ensure that ASEAN and ASEAN-led mechanisms and processes remain central,” he added.

Vision

In next year’s ASEAN, President Marcos said the Philippines’ chairship will build on the collective work of its predecessors.

We, as ASEAN, will stand firm as the institution that serves as the driving force behind the region’s evolving landscape.

Our goal is not to diverge from past chairships, but to build upon the collective work of our predecessors.

“As we pledge our sustained commitment as Chair, we likewise hope our vision will be shared among all ASEAN Member States, the Secretariat, and all our external partners,” he said.

“It is in this spirit that I warmly invite you all to the Philippines. With our collective resolve, let us navigate into our future, together,” he added.

Philippines ‘ready’

Marcos emphasized how ready the Philippines is in terms of hosting the summits. He noted that, on the logistics aspect, the country is prepared.

“We have been preparing for it for about eight months now,” he told members of the Philippine media delegation after the closing of the ASEAN Summit in a Kapihan interview session.

“Since, [Prime Minister] Anwar and I spoke, we thought that this is a big deal and we really have more to do so, yeah we are now in the process of putting together the different elements of where we think ASEAN should be focused on,” he added.

Marcos said one of the things the Philippines is preparing for is the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea.

”The other member states… that’s not as a big priority to them as it is to us. So this is our chance to really promote that and highlight that and hopefully we will succeed,” he said.