ASEAN to proceed with May summit, focus on oil, food, OFW – Marcos

Metro Manila, Philippines – President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) will convene in May against the backdrop of regional concerns and the specter of an economic contagion from spiralling oil prices.

Speaking at the 47th commencement exercises of the Philippine National Police Academy (PNPA) in Silang, Cavite, Marcos said ASEAN leaders agreed to prioritize the meeting as the Middle East crisis has triggered instability in global markets.

“The consensus that we came to is that it is precisely now that we must coordinate our efforts,” Marcos said.

The president said he consulted with fellow leaders on whether to postpone the summit, but they thought otherwise.

“So that is what we are going to do… itutuloy natin ang ASEAN Summit,” he added.

[Translation: We will proceed with the ASEAN Summit.]

Marcos said discussions will center on three key issues facing the region.

“About the supply of petroleum… about the supply of food and the price of food and migrant workers — those will be the three subject matters that we will be taking up,” the president said.

The summit will have specific targets.

“Tuloy tayo sa May 7, May 8 [We proceed on May 7, May 8]… it will be a very bare bones summit which will focus very closely on those three subject matters,” Marcos said.

The president said regional cooperation is needed in responding to global shocks.

“Ang kailangan talaga sa panahon na ito ay makapag-usap kami mga leaders… how can we help each other, and what is the ASEAN position regarding all of these shocks,” he said.

[Translation: What is needed now is for leaders to talk… how we can help each other and define ASEAN’s position on these shocks.]

Batangas Rep. Leandro Leviste earlier urged Malacañang to review the nearly ₱23-billion budget for the summit and suggested that the savings be channeled to to cushion the impact of fuel price hikes.

Some senators even suggested postponing or scaling down the event, while others said the summit should be a venue to secure energy cooperation from oil-producing members.

Marcos indicated that the government has adjusted its approach.

“That’s exactly why we did this,” he said, referring to efforts to streamline preparations.

The president said that the country will host the November summit with leaders from the regional bloc meeting dialogue partners form the United States, China, Japan and South Korea, among others.