Palace says Phl '100 percent ready' to host ASEAN 2026 Summit

Malacañang on Monday assured that the Philippines is “100 percent ready” to host the ASEAN Summit and Related Summits this year.

In a Palace press briefing, Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary and Press Officer Claire Castro said President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. led an inter-agency meeting at Malacañan Palace to review preparations for the Philippines’ ASEAN 2026 Chairship, stressing that the country’s leadership of the regional bloc must bring tangible benefits to Filipinos and the region.

During the meeting, key government agencies presented priority plans focused on job creation, support for small businesses, improving digital services, and strengthening people-centered programs.

Castro said President Marcos specifically pushed for ASEAN to focus on assisting the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao during the upcoming Brunei-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) meetings at the ASEAN Summit.

She added that coordination among concerned agencies is ongoing to ensure a smooth, secure, and well-coordinated hosting of the summit.

Joining the President at the meeting were Acting Executive Secretary Ralph Recto, Foreign Affairs Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro, Trade and Industry Secretary Cristina Roque, Information and Communications Technology Secretary Henry Aguda, Social Welfare Secretary Rex Gatchalian, Science and Technology Secretary Renato Solidum, and PCO Acting Secretary Dave Gomez, along with other government officials.

The Philippines recently hosted the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting Retreat and the ASEAN Tourism Forum in Cebu.

A founding member of ASEAN, the Philippines will host the 48th and 49th ASEAN Summits this year under the Marcos administration. The 2026 hosting will mark the country’s fourth time to host the ASEAN Summit, following its most recent hosting in 2017.