ASEAN Summit: Our window to the world

As the Philippines welcomes leaders for the ASEAN Summit and Related Summits, I beg the indulgence of fellow Filipinos who will experience inconvenience. Traffic restrictions, security arrangements and changes to daily routines can be frustrating, especially for those whose livelihoods depend on getting to work or keeping a business open. Their patience deserves our gratitude.

Authorities, for their part, should communicate restrictions clearly, help commuters plan their journeys and minimize disruption wherever possible.

Consideration for the public is part of good hosting. Our guests should encounter a country that values its own citizens’ time and welfare. They also deserve an explanation. Hosting this gathering is an opportunity to help shape decisions that affect our jobs, our security and our children’s future. The challenge for government is to make the summit meaningful beyond conference halls and ensure that benefits reach the people being asked to accommodate it.

Our chairship theme, “Navigating Our Future, Together,” captures the moment. We face geopolitical tensions, economic uncertainty, climate disruptions and technological change moving faster than many institutions can manage. No country, however powerful, can resolve all these challenges alone. For the Philippines, cooperation is essential to protecting our interests and expanding the opportunities available to Filipinos.

The expected participation of US President Donald Trump, Chinese Premier Li Qiang, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, alongside ASEAN leaders and other partners, underscores the significance of this gathering. Their presence reflects the importance of Southeast Asia and gives the Philippines an opportunity to bring its priorities directly into discussions with influential global partners.

We should recognize what this means for our country. Hosting allows President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and our diplomatic team to help guide the agenda, encourage practical cooperation and draw attention to Philippine concerns. It also allows visiting delegations to see our capabilities and meet Filipinos whose talent, enterprise and professionalism are among our greatest strengths.

ASEAN gives us a wider platform. When Southeast Asian countries speak and act together, the ability to influence international developments grows. Differences can make agreement difficult, but that is precisely why sustained dialogue matters. ASEAN centrality must mean that our region helps determine its own future, with partnerships that respect our independence and respond to the needs of our people.

For ordinary Filipinos, the most immediate question is economic: will this help create better jobs and more secure livelihoods? That must be a central measure of success. Discussions on trade, investment, connectivity and supply chains should translate into opportunities for manufacturers, farmers, service providers and smaller enterprises. We need partnerships that help Philippine businesses reach customers and compete in larger markets.

The digital economy makes these conversations particularly urgent. Artificial intelligence is changing how businesses operate and how people work. Digital payments and online commerce can help small enterprises sell beyond their neighborhood, while better connectivity can bring education and services to underserved communities. But these require reliable infrastructure, affordable access and rules that earn public trust.

We must also prepare our workforce. Young Filipinos need skills that allow them to use emerging technologies confidently. Workers whose occupations are changing need opportunities to retrain. Cooperation with ASEAN and our external partners can support this effort through education, research and investment. The promise of digital transformation will remain incomplete if its gains are confined to those already equipped to participate.

Security is equally connected to daily life. Instability raises business costs, discourages investment and threatens livelihoods. For an archipelagic country, safe seas and dependable trade routes are fundamental concerns. Our fishermen must be able to pursue their livelihoods, and our economy must have access to maritime routes through which goods and essential supplies travel.

We will continue to uphold international law, including the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and the 2016 Arbitral Award. At the same time, we must keep diplomatic channels open with China and pursue practical ways to prevent incidents from escalating. A peaceful region requires both respect for rights and a willingness to engage in serious dialogue.

Strong Philippine relations with the US reinforce the importance of sustained engagement across sectors. Our alliance provides a foundation for cooperation, while trade, technology and people-to-people ties widen its benefits. The summit offers another setting to advance shared interests and demonstrate that our partnership contributes to the wider region’s peace and prosperity.

The participation of Canada and Brazil also reminds us to look outward with confidence. Our economic and diplomatic opportunities extend across the Pacific and beyond. Engaging a broader range of partners can open markets, strengthen cooperation and give our country more options. These relationships take patient work, but gatherings such as this can give that work valuable momentum.

Of course, a successful summit cannot be measured by photographs, ceremonies or the number of arriving aircraft. Agreements must be followed by implementation. Investment discussions need sustained attention. Promises of cooperation need responsible agencies and clear objectives. Filipinos should be able to see how the commitments made here contribute to improvements in their lives.

That responsibility continues long after the delegations depart. We must match the welcome extended to visitors with the efficiency we offer investors, the preparation we provide workers and the seriousness we bring to fulfilling commitments. Hosting earns attention; consistent performance earns confidence. The real opportunity is to turn these days of diplomacy into years of productive cooperation for the Filipino people.

To those bearing the inconvenience, your patience helps make this national undertaking possible. ASEAN is our window to the world. Let us use it to bring a better future within reach of every Filipino.

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