First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos said preparations for upcoming Association of Southeast Asian Nations meetings will be done in a frugal manner.
“We are on the Ilokano effect,” Araneta-Marcos said on Tuesday when asked about preparations for the ASEAN Summit in Cebu this May and the ASEAN Leaders’ Summit in November.
Ilocanos are known for being prudent, particularly when it comes to spending and food.
The First Lady also lightened the mood by doing jumping jacks while going down the stairs of the Presidential Communications Office in the Malacañang complex, teasing reporters.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. earlier visited the PCO and was seen jogging several meters after a press briefing as he returned to his office at Gate 4.
The President has ordered a recalibrated Philippine hosting of ASEAN 2026, scaling down nonessential activities “to save on expenses and focus on the most important.”
As part of the directive, around 650 preparatory meetings will be conducted online.
The ASEAN Leaders’ Summit in May will focus on key issues such as energy security, food security and migrant workers’ concerns. It will be held in person but in a “very bare bones” format.
To implement the directive, the ASEAN National Organizing Council, chaired by Finance Secretary Ralph Recto, issued a 27 March memorandum directing host agencies to conduct most preparatory meetings virtually.