President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. called on Southeast Asian nations to adopt a “whole-of-system” approach to the climate crisis, warning that the region remains among the most vulnerable to shifting global weather patterns.

Speaking at the inaugural session of ASEAN Climate Week, Marcos said the 10-member bloc must strengthen collaboration to protect millions of citizens facing the immediate threats of rising sea levels, devastating floods, and prolonged droughts.

He stressed that the Association of Southeast Asian Nations has the collective resolve to overcome these challenges through shared responsibility.

“ASEAN stands at the frontlines of the global climate crisis,” Marcos said. “Confronting these challenges is our shared responsibility, and ASEAN has shown that through cooperation, we can overcome common problems with our collective purpose and resolve.”

The Climate Change Commission echoed the president’s call, stressing that long-term economic stability depends on an integrated regional strategy rather than fragmented national responses.

Robert E.A. Borje, the commission’s vice chairperson and executive director, noted a critical gap between the region’s shared exposure to climate risks and its current decentralized control of energy and economic systems.

Borje said the Philippines recognizes that climate risks and energy systems across the region are increasingly interconnected. He argued that maintaining climate ambition while ensuring stability requires aligning national priorities within a coherent system that supports long-term development.

Hosted by the Philippines for the first time, ASEAN Climate Week runs through 1 May. The event aims to advance Nationally Determined Contributions — the climate pledges made by individual countries under the Paris Agreement — through technical exchanges and high-level dialogues.

Organizers said the weeklong summit underscores the Philippines’ role in regional climate leadership and its efforts to deepen collaboration among member states to address the overlapping challenges of energy security and sustainable development.