MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) is a "safe harbor" for the Philippines.
In his fifth State of the Nation Address on Monday, the President said the Philippines "share not only mutual proximity, but affinity" with the other 10 members of Asean.
Asean is composed of Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand, Timor Leste, the Philippines, Singapore, and Vietnam.
The President said the Philippines "advocated for greater solidarity and cooperation" among the Asean member states during its chairmanship this year.
The Philippines leads Asean in 2026 with the theme, “Navigating Our Future, Together."
“Together, we found ways to alleviate the dire consequences of the war in the Middle East," the President said.
"Through a united Asean and its strong extended network, we have achieved greater security and resilience—as a region and as individual nations— more capable of withstanding disruptive events,” he added.
Foreign Affairs Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro said that under the Philippines' chairmanship of Asean this year 2026, the Foreign Ministers of the Asean Regional Forum (ARF) adopted the Manila Plan of Action 2026–2036 on July 23 which was "envisioned to serve as the primary policy document to guide ARF cooperation over the next decade."
