Marcos on ASEAN hosting: No ‘gilding the lily’

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines will not be “gilding the lily” when it hosts the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit and related meetings next year, President Marcos said.

In a podcast interview aired Friday, Marcos was asked about the “kind of Philippines” he wants Southeast Asian neighbors and other leaders to see and appreciate.

“I want them to see the Philippines as it is. I’m so proud of the Philippines. It doesn’t need – what they say in English – ‘gilding the lily.’ Pinapaganda mo pa, magandang-maganda na eh (You’re making it more beautiful when it’s already beautiful),” he said.

The President said the country will showcase its people, known for being hardworking and kind, as well as its strong and enduring relations with other nations.

“We’re doing a lot to further strengthen our foreign relations with various countries,” he noted. “What I really want to show is that the Philippines has now come together – a kind of social pact with each other that we will work together because we are headed in the right direction. And that’s the most important thing.”

ASEAN’s chairmanship rotates annually among member-states in alphabetical order of their English names. The 10-member bloc is composed of Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

The chairing country leads the ASEAN Summit and related events, including ministerial and senior officials’ meetings.

Myanmar was originally set to host the 2026 ASEAN Summit but was replaced by the Philippines due to its political crisis.

In April last year, Marcos ordered the creation of a national organizing council for the country’s hosting. The Office of the President’s 2025 budget was increased to fund preparations.

Earlier, Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin said P22 billion is needed for summit preparations.

In recent social media posts, First Lady Liza Marcos met with organizers of Indonesia’s 2023 chairmanship at the Coconut Palace in Pasay City, one of the possible venues for next year’s events. She has also been inspecting ongoing renovations and preparations at the Philippine International Convention Center.

The Philippines last hosted the ASEAN Summit in 2017.