There are moments in our shared Asian journey that linger — echoes of hope, struggle, and reconciliation. One such moment now unfolds as Timor-Leste steps into full membership of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) as its 11th member.

This milestone is deeply personal to us. Our friends President Jose Ramos-Horta and Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao have long been companions in the pursuit of peace and reconciliation across Asia. We recall visiting Dili in 2012, when President Ramos-Horta welcomed us to a peace conference amid the charged atmosphere of post-election Timor-Leste. Despite the tension, there was hope — a people determined to move forward after years of hardship.

The forum, co-organized by Timor-Leste’s government, the International Conference of Asian Political Parties (ICAPP), and the Centrist Asia Pacific Democrats International (CAPDI), honored the Timorese model of peace and reconciliation and the indomitable spirit that carried them from colonial and occupation struggles to independence in 2002, after a 1999 UN-sponsored referendum where 78.5 percent voted for freedom. Ramos-Horta and Bishop Carlos Belo’s 1996 Nobel Peace Prize remains a testament to that long and inspiring struggle.

In our conversations in his modest home in Dili, Ramos-Horta spoke of the countless lives lost and the suffering endured during their uphill fight for nationhood. Yet he emphasized that the new Timor-Leste chose reconciliation over resentment, saying, “Neither side allowed past grievances to divide them.” It was a powerful lesson in forgiveness and nation-building.

We from the Philippines can be proud that our fellow Filipinos — missionaries, peacekeepers, teachers, and social workers — answered the call during those years of struggle. They risked their safety to serve the Timorese people. Their contribution remains a quiet but profound link between our two nations, rooted in compassion and solidarity. Today, more than 1,500 Filipinos continue to live and work in Timor-Leste, helping build its schools, offices, and communities.

Ramos-Horta’s own life mirrors the story of his nation — from exile to freedom fighter, from diplomat to statesman. In 2008, just months before a planned state visit to the Philippines, he was ambushed by rebel soldiers and nearly lost his life. Upon recovery, he fulfilled his visit, proof of his courage and steadfast commitment to friendship and peace. During that period, Filipina scholar Jacqueline Siapno briefly served as interim First Lady, symbolizing the deep personal and cultural ties between our peoples.

Equally remarkable is the life of Xanana Gusmao. Once a resistance fighter who spent years in prison for his nation’s freedom, he later guided Timor-Leste through the difficult transition from war to peace and from occupation to democracy. As its first President and later as Prime Minister, he laid the foundations of national unity, reconciliation, and reconstruction, transforming a nation torn by conflict into one guided by vision and hope. His humility and devotion to his people have made him a true father of the Timorese nation.

We were privileged to work with both Ramos-Horta and Gusmao in the International Conference of Asian Political Parties (ICAPP) and the Asian Peace and Reconciliation Council (APRC), where we shared the conviction that Asia’s future depends on dialogue and understanding. Their leadership reminds us that peace requires both courage and grace.

Now, with Timor-Leste’s accession to ASEAN, the circle feels complete. This is not merely a bureaucratic enlargement, it is a symbolic affirmation of Southeast Asia’s unity, kinship, and shared destiny. As Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim aptly said, “Its place here completes the ASEAN family.” For the Philippines, which has supported Timor-Leste’s bid since 2011, this moment is both diplomatic and deeply human — a gesture of friendship and faith in a younger nation that overcame immense odds.

In the gentle long-view of history, Timor-Leste’s path from conflict to nationhood — and now to ASEAN — stands as a quiet victory of hope over adversity. It invites us to pause, remember, and renew our resolve to keep faith in peace, solidarity, and the enduring promise of our shared Asian destiny.