Behind the bright photos and polite handshakes at the ASEAN and APEC summits, there’s a deeper kind of relationship building most people never see. There are the backroom talks, the late-night drafting of communiqués, the negotiations over coffee.

Having chaired both the ASEAN Working Group on Intellectual Property Cooperation (AWGIPC) and the APEC Intellectual Property Experts Group (IPEG) during my term as Director General of the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines, I’ve seen how sometimes a country’s trade relations and even its future can hinge on who’s sitting at the table.

So when President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. attends these gatherings, he is representing the aspirations of over a hundred million Filipinos in rooms where decisions affecting our economy, security, and future are made. These summits are where leaders set directions, forge alliances, and make commitments that shape policies across the region. They aren’t just for the photo-op. They’re for presence because showing up means everything in diplomacy.

In ASEAN, the Philippines has always been a strong advocate for cooperation, inclusivity, and the rule of law. Having sat in numerous ASEAN meetings myself, I know that being present makes a difference. And this, in the ASEAN context, is power. For a country grappling with maritime insecurity and the race for competitiveness, presence means we’re not just reacting to currents — we’re steering through them. It signals to our neighbors that the Philippines is serious, alert, and ready to lead.

At APEC, the stakes are higher with 21 economies — half of the world’s trade — in one room. The language of growth is spoken fluently here, and fluency demands participation. As former Chair of the APEC Intellectual Property Experts Group, I witnessed how ideas on innovation, digital transformation, and intellectual property protection translated to real policies that affected businesses, startups, and creative industries in the Philippines. A single leader’s voice can tip the scale toward new partnerships, fresh investment, and better technology.

That’s why the President’s presence matters. When he meets his counterparts from the United States, China, Japan, Korea, and fellow ASEAN nations, the exchange is a test of credibility.

And yes — it matters too that he faces questions about corruption head-on. The world reads headlines. It listens for reassurance. In those rooms, the President has the rare power to correct the narrative, to show that we are a nation fighting its shadows, not succumbing to them.

Having witnessed how much influence is wielded at these meetings, I can say with certainty: when the President of the Philippines is in the room, our country’s interests are stronger and our voice is louder.