THE Philippines will host a series of high-level Asean meetings in September and October in the lead up to the 49th Asean Summit and Related Summits in November.
Among the major September activities are meetings on economic integration and disas ter resilience, with several events to be held in Metro Manila.
The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) will lead the Asean Economic Ministers (AEM) Meetings and Related Meetings from Sept. 14-22 at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC), gathering regional economic ministers and counterparts from the bloc’s key economic partners to advance regional economic integration and cooperation, discuss global economic developments and move forward the Philippines’ priority economic deliverables under its Asean chairship.
Outcomes and recommendations from the 58th AEM and Related Meetings will help inform economic discussions at the November summit. Business and stakeholder activities from Sept. 17-21 will include the Asean Creative Industries Expo by Malikhaing Pinoy (Asean MPEx) 2026 and the Asean MSME Summit, highlighting MSMEs and the creative economy as drivers of innovation, job creation and inclusive growth.
The Office of Civil Defense will lead the Asean Ministerial Conference on Disaster Resilience 2026 on Sept. 15 and 16, while the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity (Opapru) will lead the Asean Peace Education High-Level Conference on Sept. 22-23 at Crowne Plaza Manila Galleria.
Under the theme “Peace Education for Shared Futures and Enduring Cooperation,” the Asean Peace Education High-Level Conference will bring together policymakers, educators, youth, civil society and development partners to advance peace education as a strategic enabler of sustainable peace, resilience and cooperation in Southeast Asia.
For women and gender development, the Philippine Commission on Women (PCW) will lead and co-host three major regional events from September to October under its Asean Committee on Women Chairship, focusing on women’s leadership, women, peace and security, and the care economy.
The 4th Asean Women Leaders’ Summit will be held Sept. 29 to Oct. 1 under the theme “Women’s Leadership for Inclusive Prosperity in the Asean Region.” It is expected to produce a Joint Ministerial Statement on Women’s Leadership for Inclusive Prosperity, setting shared gender-equality commitments toward Asean’s post-2025 vision to 2045. PNA
The Asean Conference on Women, Peace and Security (WPS) will follow on Oct. 6-8, co-led by PCW and Opapru, while the Conference on Investing in Care will be held Oct. 28-30 in Metro Manila. The WPS conference is expected to generate recommendations for Asean’s review of its WPS agenda, while the care economy conference will launch the Asean Guidance Note on Strengthening the Care Economy.
The Department of Tourism will host the Asean Tourism Ministers’ Retreat on Sept. 29 in Manila, providing an informal, high-level platform for tourism ministers to discuss emerging challenges, opportunities and strategic directions for regional tourism.
The Tourism Investment Showcase, held alongside the retreat, will connect Asean member-states with investors, financing institutions and development partners. Its outcomes will contribute to the Investment Outlook and provide inputs for the November Leaders’ Summit.
In October, the Department of Energy will lead meetings from Oct. 5-9 at the PICC, while Opapru will hold activities from Oct. 6-9.
The Department of the Interior and Local Government will lead the 20th Asean Ministerial Meeting on Transnational Crime from Oct. 19-21 in Manila, while the Department of National Defense will host the 20th Asean Defense Ministers’ Meeting and Related Meetings on Oct. 28 and 29 in Cebu.
