Diplomacy; PBBM delivers

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. last week performed the role of a statesman and a mediator as he called for a special Senate session to address urgent legislative matters and mend the vicious feud in the chamber, as he prepared for a herculean task — ensuring that the ASEAN region is sound when it comes to its cooperation with one of the world’s superpowers, Russia.

Marcos touched down in Kazan, Russia on 17 June, marking his first visit to the country, arriving 50 years after his father, President Ferdinand Marcos Sr., made the trip that established diplomatic relations between Manila and Moscow.

In Kazan, Marcos co-chaired the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-Russia Commemorative Summit alongside Russian President Vladimir Putin. This role came with his current chairship of the regional bloc.

The gathering marked 35 years of dialogue between ASEAN and Russia, and Marcos used the platform to push for sharper cooperation on security and the economy, stronger maritime security and counterterrorism cooperation, deeper resilience in cyberspace, and a shift toward anticipating threats rather than merely reacting to them.

On the sidelines, Marcos and Putin discussed expanding cooperation on food and energy resources in a bilateral meeting, and Marcos held additional engagements with the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the Eurasian Economic Union.

By 19 June, Marcos was back in the country, calling his two-day trip “very productive.”

While the President was airborne, the machinery of government at home didn’t stop. Before leaving, Marcos had named caretakers to keep governance uninterrupted.

15 June

Extra Congress session

The President called on Congress to convene a special session on 17 June to act on priority legislation to strengthen social protection, expand access to education and healthcare, and provide greater support to vulnerable Filipinos amid the ongoing energy challenges and natural disasters.

Marcos said the challenges confronting Filipinos demanded urgent action, as families affected by the recent earthquake in Mindanao required immediate assistance.

He said students needed continued support to pursue their education, senior citizens deserved better healthcare, Filipino children needed better nutrition, and vulnerable sectors needed stronger protection.

Quake aid stepped up

Marcos visited earthquake-ravaged communities in Sarangani province and General Santos City to assess the damage and assure victims of the 7.8-magnitude earthquake of continued government assistance.

He announced that the Office of the President had released P278 million from the Socio-Civic Projects Fund to expand relief operations for the quake victims.

The President and his party, including Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon and other government officials, proceeded to the evacuation center at the municipal plaza of Glan where more than 100 families sheltered in makeshift tents while awaiting permanent assistance.

16 June

Milestone visit

The President welcomed to Malacañang German Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier who was on a state visit, marking a significant milestone in the longstanding diplomatic relations between Germany and the Philippines.

The German President was accorded full military honors, including a 21-gun salute. He was accompanied by First Lady Elke Büdenbender. Steinmeier’s visit marks a milestone in the more than seven decades of diplomatic relations between the Philippines and Germany.

The two leaders agreed to deepen bilateral relations across multiple sectors while major agreements and developments were sealed focusing on aviation investments, defense ties, and labor.

The two leaders witnessed the presentation of a lease agreement between LIPAD Corporation and Lufthansa Technik Philippines to develop a massive 157,000-square-meter maintenance, repair, and overhaul facility at Clark International Airport.

Steinmeier also expressed openness to a future Visiting Forces Agreement-like arrangement with Germany and committed to supporting the Philippines in modernizing the Philippine Coast Guard and ensuring a rules-based international order in the South China Sea.

Russian rendezvous

The President left in the evening for Kazan, Russia, to participate in the ASEAN-Russia Commemorative Summit, where regional leaders were expected to discuss cooperation in security, trade, energy, food security, and other key areas.

Marcos said the trip carried both regional and personal significance as it marked his first visit to Russia.

17 June

Talking energy with Putin

In a bilateral discussion with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the summit, Marcos expressed hope for more robust trade and economic cooperation with Russia, underscoring its huge potential for exploration, particularly in energy and food security.

The President told Putin their meeting was particularly significant for the two nations on the 50th anniversary of Philippine-Russian ties.

Marcos also expressed hope for continuing regular political consultations between the Philippines and Russia to provide an opportunity to explore further avenues for cooperation.

Speaking as chair of ASEAN, the President personally extended an invitation to Putin to attend the 21st East Asia Summit to be held in Manila in November.

Marcos pointed out that the East Asia Summit “remains an integral part in maintaining a regional architecture towards our shared goal of a stable, secure, and prosperous region.”

18 June

Enhanced bloc relations

At the Summit, Marcos underscored key priorities that should shape and strengthen cooperation between Russia and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in the years ahead.

Marcos, who co-chaired the ASEAN-Russia Commemorative Summit in Kazan alongside Russian President Putin, said the Russia-ASEAN partnership was “built on mutual respect, shared interests, and the steady conviction that cooperation, not confrontation, is the surest path to peace.”

The President enumerated in his summit welcoming remarks the three priorities that should guide Russia-ASEAN cooperation in the future: peace, security, and stability; a more dynamic economic partnership; and people-to-people ties.

Underscoring the importance of peace, security, and stability, the President proposed strengthening practical cooperation on maritime security and counter-terrorism, reinforcing collective resilience in cyberspace, and developing institutional habits to counter terrorism, illicit trafficking, cybercrime and online scams.

More bilateral trade

To attain a more dynamic economic partnership with Russia, Marcos suggested expanding economic opportunities, improving trade facilitation, deepening investment flows, and connecting business communities.

The President emphasized that while trade and investment ties between Russia and ASEAN have grown, they have yet to reach their full potential.

As to more cohesive people-to-people partnerships, President Marcos said Russia and ASEAN must focus on strengthening scholarships, student exchanges, academic partnerships, tourism and the arts.

The leaders held substantive discussions on the future direction of ASEAN-Russia cooperation and on regional and international developments of common concern, covering peace and stability, trade and investment, food and energy security, science and technology, and people-to-people exchanges.

Key documents inked

Marcos announced the adoption of several important outcome documents at the conclusion of the ASEAN-Russia Commemorative Summit.

Among these were the Kazan Declaration 2026 “ASEAN-Russian Federation: Unity in Diversity–35 Years Together;” the ASEAN-Russia Comprehensive Plan of Action for 2026-2030; the Joint Statement and Concept Paper on Cultural Cooperation; and the Joint Statement and Concept Paper on Energy Cooperation.

They also tackled promoting peace, stability, and sustainable development, enhancing trade and investment, strengthening food and energy security, advancing science and technology cooperation, and deepening people-to-people exchanges.

The developments in the wider Eurasian region, the opportunities for greater engagement between ASEAN and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, and the Eurasian Economic Union were also discussed.

19 June

Beyond the usual

During the regular Kapihan Forum with local media, held before the President left Moscow, Marcos revealed that no single agreement between the Philippines and Russia was sealed, nor did any investment pledge come from Russia.

Hence, he said the Philippines is exploring new and emerging areas of cooperation with the Russian Federation beyond traditional partnerships, as both countries seek to broaden their bilateral engagement and strengthen ties in the years ahead.

The usual collaboration with Russia involves agriculture, energy, and food supply.

The President noted that trade and engagement in traditional areas remained quite low due to the Philippines’ continued attachment to the old ways of doing business. But the country is adjusting, he said, which gives it great potential to develop its relations with Russia across many sectors.

Freedom for 24 Pinoys

The President brought home the bacon, so to speak, when he secured the release of 24

Filipinos held in a Russian jail for nine months. Marcos emphasized that the 24 had not been charged with any wrongdoing.

He said he asked President Putin if there was a way to resolve their case. Putin had expressed surprise, saying he knew nothing about the matter. He then ordered the release of the Filipinos.