President Marcos emphasized that the Philippines and the members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) must continue to work together to navigate ongoing and future geopolitical and economic challenges.

In his arrival statement on Wednesday morning, May 28, Marcos recognized that the summit held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia was an opportunity to discuss among fellow ASEAN member states and partners how they should navigate their futures together.

"The summit was once again an opportunity to discuss among our fellow ASEAN member states and partners how we should navigate our futures together. This amidst the various geopolitical and economic challenges that we face nationally, bilaterally, regionally, and globally," Marcos said.

The President said he was able to participate in discussions on significant international issues and emerging challenges that not only impact the country, but also the entire region, especially the West Philippine Sea.

On the sidelines of his two-day participation in the summit, he met with the leaders of Lao PDR, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Kuwait, where he reaffirmed commitment to strengthen bilateral relations and further advance cooperation on many fields of mutual interests such as defense, maritime, trade, human resource and development, and education.

"I especially wish to note that we agreed to explore active ways to boost private sector investment. We expressed openness to cooperating on advanced technologies, AI, and the digital space," he said.

"I emphasized that welfare, safety, and progress of Filipinos working and living overseas is of paramount importance to my administration," he added.

Marcos said his takeaway from his bilateral meetings was that they must continue to cooperate to navigate the future.

"In all my bilateral engagements, one thing is clear: we have to continue to cooperate and to work together to navigate a future that presents us with many opportunities together with many challenges," he said.

As part of the summit series, the President chaired the 16th Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) Summit on Tuesday, underscoring the country’s proactive role in advancing inclusive growth and regional collaboration.

In a series of meetings, he participated in the 2nd ASEAN-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and the ASEAN-GCC-China Summit and held bilateral meetings with his regional counterparts.

Marcos acknowledged ASEAN’s united commitment to advancing regional integration, adopting the “ASEAN Community Vision 2045,” and corresponding strategic plans to guide the region’s future over the next two decades.

He also reported that the ASEAN leaders shared the priority of inclusive growth through initiatives such as the “Complementarities Initiative,” which aligns ASEAN’s goals with the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

The Chief Executive said security and cooperation remained central themes, with a reaffirmation of ASEAN’s dedication to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation (TAC) in Southeast Asia, and calls for full implementation of key international agreements, including the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and the Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone (SEANWFZ) Treaty.

On the economic front, the President underscored ASEAN’s resilience by a 4.7 percent growth rate in 2024, surpassing global averages.

He noted that the ASEAN leaders exchanged views on the risks posed by unilateral tariff measures and expressed support for establishing the ASEAN Geoeconomics Task Force, which aims to offer timely policy guidance in addressing regional economic challenges.

He said further economic collaboration was strengthened through updates to the ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement (ATIGA), amendments to Free Trade Agreements (FTAs), and increased utilization of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).

He also welcomed the Joint Declaration on Economic Cooperation between ASEAN and the GCC.

Marcos also cited the importance of advancing responsible and ethical technology use while noting ASEAN’s steps toward establishing the ASEAN Artificial Intelligence Safety Network, which aligns with the Philippines' advocacy for AI safety and governance.

Socio-cultural development was highlighted through the adoption of the ASEAN Creative Economy Sustainability Framework, and discussions on green jobs, education, migrant rights, civil service, and health.

The President reaffirmed the Philippines’ commitment to ASEAN youth, citing the successful hosting of the 14th Senior Officials Meeting on Youth and the ASEAN Youth Climate Action and Disaster Resilience Conference in Manila.