Metro Manila, Philippines – The Philippines is hosting the 48th ASEAN Summit in Cebu City from May 6 to 8, a gathering of Southeast Asian leaders for talks that are expected to focus on energy security, food security, and safety of member states amid an unstable global arena.
Beyond the formal meetings, what exactly happens at the summit and why did the Philippines take on the role of host for this major regional gathering?
What is the ASEAN Summit
The ASEAN Summit is an annual meeting of leaders from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, where regional priorities and cooperation plans are proposed, discussed, and agreed upon.
For this year, the Philippines will host heads of states from 10 other Southeast Asian countries, with Timor-Leste as the newest member.
Cebu will host leaders from Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.
The three-day event will be packed with preparatory sessions and elite engagements including the summit plenary that highlights priorities and regional concerns.
Malaysia was the host country in 2025..
Philippines in the ASEAN
This summit will have the theme, “Navigating Our Future, Together,” for a region of over 700 million people in an economic group seen as the fifth largest in the world.
The Philippines is one of ASEAN’s founding members with Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand. The bloc was formed in 1967.
Hosting the summit places the Philippines in the rotating ASEAN chairmanship, giving it the role of setting priorities and shaping the year’s agenda.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s will be the summit chairman as the host country’s executive leader. The chair will lead meetings and help drive consensus among members.
Marcos has long highlighted the Philippines’ focus on food security, digital transformation, climate resilience, and regional peace.
The country has also emphasized strengthening partnerships with dialogue partners and boosting regional trade and investment. Officials say the chairmanship offers a chance to showcase the Philippines as a hub for diplomacy and business.
Hosting duties also involve organizing hundreds of related meetings and welcoming thousands of delegates, making it a major diplomatic and logistical undertaking.
Palace press officer Claire Castro earlier said the Philippines is committing to a world-class and seamless hosting of the summit, with Malacañang saying all preparations are in place ahead of the regional gathering in Cebu.
READ: PH vows seamless, world-class ASEAN hosting
Castro said the administration aims to deliver a “secure, efficient, and world-class” summit that reflects ASEAN’s shared commitment to regional stability and cooperation.
The Philippines last hosted the event in 2017 and 2007.
What to expect
Malacañang had said the event will focus on political-security, economic, and socio-cultural cooperation, as well as the impact of the Middle East crisis.
In a briefing, ASEAN 2026 spokesperson Dominic Xavier Imperial said the leaders are expected to discuss “concrete actions amid the impact of the ongoing tensions in the Middle East,” particularly on energy supply, food security, and economic stability in the region.
Imperial said maritime cooperation remains a key priority under the ASEAN Political-Security Community pillar.
Among the proposed outcome documents for endorsement by leaders is a declaration on maritime cooperation with “the inclusion of the ASEAN Coast Guard Forum as an ASEAN sectoral body and the proposed establishment of an ASEAN maritime center in the Philippines.”
Trade Undersecretary Allan Gepty said the delegates are also expected to push stronger regional coordination on supply chains, energy connectivity, and economic resilience.
Regional leaders are also expected to discuss amendments to the ASEAN charter in light of the formal admission of Timor-Leste as the 11th member.
Imperial said legal and institutional adjustments are under discussion in its entry into ASEAN.
Marcos has declared a holiday in Lapu-Lapu City, Cordova, and Cebu for the duration of the event to make way for the summit delegates.
