SINGAPORE — The Philippines’ 2026 chairmanship of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) comes at a critical juncture for regional security, economic resilience, and ASEAN’s credibility, according to Medardo Abad Jr., former director of the ASEAN Secretariat.

Speaking at a seminar organized by the Philippines Studies Programme of the National University of Singapore’s Institute for Southeast Asian Studies, Abad explained that ASEAN’s chairmanship rotates annually in alphabetical order, meaning a single year is short in context of ASEAN’s multiyear agreements and projects.

“Expectations from an ASEAN chairman should be sensibly measured,” he said, noting the distinction between sustaining ongoing ASEAN work and introducing new priorities.

Core responsibilities

Abad highlighted three core responsibilities of any ASEAN chair. First, he said, the chair must maintain external relations by continuing ASEAN’s role in shaping regional peace and stability through the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP) and actively engaging forums such as the East Asia Summit, ASEAN Regional Forum and the ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting Plus.

Second, the chair must strengthen regional security through ongoing defense dialogues and monitoring ceasefire agreements, such as those between Cambodia and Thailand, while ensuring transparency.

The Philippines, he likewise said, should also activate the Special Envoy on Myanmar to push for meaningful political normalization rather than cosmetic discussions.

Third, the chair must continue building the ASEAN Economic Community, focusing on digital economy, energy interconnections, and deeper regional integration to position ASEAN as the world’s fourth-largest economy.

Opportunity to highlight national priorities

Beyond these duties, Abad emphasized that the chairmanship offers an opportunity to highlight national priorities in line with the Philippines’ foreign policy.

Drawing lessons from the country’s last chairmanship in 2017 — which focused on countering violent extremism, the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea, and ASEAN-China negotiations for RCEP — Abad noted that today’s regional and global challenges remain equally pressing.

The South China Sea has grown more volatile, he said, and economic uncertainties persist due to unilateral actions by major powers.

For the 2026 chairmanship, the Philippines is expected to maintain ASEAN’s political and security outlook, advance the Code of Conduct negotiations, strengthen economic resilience through trade and connectivity, and promote inclusive growth for MSMEs, creative sectors, migrant workers, and rural communities.

Advocate peaceful settlement of disputes

Non-traditional security issues, such as cybercrime, online scams, and climate-induced disasters, should also be addressed, and ASEAN must continue advocating for the peaceful settlement of disputes, including the Cambodia-Thailand border tensions, while exploring a formal Protocol on Dispute Settlement.