KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia—Hosting the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit next year is an enormous responsibility, but offers great opportunities, President Marcos said shortly after taking over the chairship.

These great opportunities, Marcos said, would come from many aspects of partnership with ASEAN member states and other allies around the world.

"And so, that is the way I see it. I look forward to the opportunities and the things that we will be able to do as Chair of ASEAN. And I do believe that what we are aspiring to do is the same as what the aspirations are of the other member states in ASEAN," he said.

"So, I am happy that we are given this opportunity. I see it as an opportunity. Of course, it's a big job. We have to do very many things, not least of which is making arrangements for everyone to come in. But more importantly will be, of course, the setting of the agenda," he added.

The President underscored that assuming the Chairship is already the most important opportunity given by a group such as the ASEAN.

"I'm a little, shall we say, overwhelmed by the scale of what it is that we have to do. But that is very well balanced by the number of opportunities that we are being given to move ASEAN forward in the directions that we feel, we, Philippines, feel are the right directions for positioning of the ASEAN and the member states for the future – the brave new world that we are all facing," Marcos said.

Although a "little overwhelmed," the Chief Executive said the Philippines is physically and logistically ready to host the ASEAN.

"Well, in terms of physical, logistical preparation, we are prepared," Marcos said in a post-ASEAN Summit press briefing on Tuesday night, Oct. 28.

Marcos disclosed that the Philippine government has been preparing for eight months now, sharing that he has actually spoken to Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim early on his chairship on what an ASEAN chair must do and expect in hosting the regional summit.

"Very early on in the Chairship of Malaysia, I spoke already to Premier Anwar and I asked him: How is it going? And he said: You know this is what we're having to do and these are the things that we are having to arrange. It’s a big…And so immediately I said: We're next, we have to start preparing," Marcos said.

According to Marcos, the government is now in the process of putting together the different elements of where ASEAN 2026 should be focusing.

He cited that one of the priorities is the conclusion of the Code of Conduct for South China Sea.

"The other member states, that's not as a big priority to them as it is to us. So, this is our chance to really promote that and to highlight that, and hopefully we will succeed," Marcos said.

"When you are the Chair of ASEAN, you lead. And that is what we are ready to do that because we have a very, very good idea of what the elements are that we feel need to be part of the discussions of ASEAN during our Chairship," he added.