PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. arrived yesterday from Malaysia where he reiterated the Philippines’ position on the disputed West Philippine Sea (WPS) in the South China Sea and discussed with other leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) the impact of higher unilateral tariff measures and the others issues that affect the world economy.
The President, accompanied by First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, arrived in Manila at 3:19 a.m. from Kuala Lumpur where he attended the 46th ASEAN Summit.
In his arrival statement, Marcos said the summit provided ASEAN leaders an opportunity to discuss how to navigate their futures together amid geopolitical and economic challenges the world faces.
“We discussed significant international issues and emerging challenges that not only impact our nation, but also the entire region, especially the West Philippine Sea,” he said.
He said he reaffirmed that the Philippines will continue to defend its sovereignty, sovereign rights, and jurisdiction in the WPS in accordance with international law, and that it would continue to strengthen its partnerships with all countries who share the Philippines’ values and commitment to peace and the rule of law.
During the Leaders’ Plenary sessions, Marcos asked the leaders to expedite the adoption of a code of conduct in the South China Sea to promote stability and prevent any miscalculations at sea amid the growing tensions in the region.
In his arrival speech, the president said the ASEAN leaders agreed to work as a whole towards the further advancement of ASEAN Community-building.
Marcos said the summit resulted in several agreements which include the adoption of the ASEAN Community Vision 2045, which sets out the future direction of ASEAN over the next 20 years, along with its accompanying strategic plans; and affirmation of the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia which is the a “code of conduct which governs the inter-state relations in the region.”
He said the leaders also agreed on the establishment of the ASEAN Geoeconomics Task Force which is an ad-hoc, specialized, high-level advisory body which provides real-time analysis, strategic foresight, and actionable policy recommendations to support relevant ASEAN Sectoral Bodies.
Marcos said the leaders also discussed the promotion of inclusive growth, particularly for the marginalized, the underdeveloped, and vulnerable communities and the efforts to narrow development gaps through inclusive growth, sustainable investments, and initiatives in education, green jobs, and the protection of migrant workers’ rights.
“We reaffirmed the ASEAN’s collective commitment to a rules-based, open, inclusive, transparent, and non-discriminatory multilateral system,” he added.
The President said that on the sidelines of the summit, he also met with leaders from Laos, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Kuwait and further discussed the possible expansion or strengthening of various cooperation such as on trade, maritime, AI, defense, tourism, education, human resource and the welfare of overseas Filipinos, among others.
“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,” Marcos said.
