KUALA LUMPUR: Philippine President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has revealed that ASEAN leaders will hold discussions on the new tariff schedule imposed by the United States.
Speaking at Villamor Air Base in Pasay City before he departed for Malaysia to attend the 46th ASEAN Summit, Marcos Jr. described the tariff issue as a development requiring collective response from the ASEAN member states.
“We have already had informal consultations with the ASEAN Chair, Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, and fellow member states. Given the differing trade circumstances across ASEAN, we must find consensus on this issue,” he was quoted as saying in a video posted on the official Facebook page of Radio Television Malacañang (RTVM). RTVM is the official broadcast agency and media arm of the Philippine President.
On his participation in the summit, Marcos Jr. said the Philippines remains committed to strengthening ASEAN centrality and regional cooperation, especially amid pressing regional and global challenges such as developments in the South China Sea, the situation in Myanmar, climate change, maritime security and digital transformation.
During the summit from May 26 to 27, Marcos Jr. will participate in plenary and retreat sessions, as well as meetings with the ASEAN Business Advisory Council, ASEAN Youth and Parliamentarians. He is also scheduled to attend the 2nd ASEAN-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Summit and the inaugural ASEAN-GCC-China Summit.
“These platforms offer a valuable opportunity to share insights on our increasingly complex economic and geopolitical landscape,” he said.
The Philippine leader said he would also promote the development of a common regional framework for ethical and responsible artificial intelligence (AI), aligned with ASEAN values.
Bilateral talks with Prime Minister Anwar and other ASEAN leaders are also on his agenda, aimed at reinforcing regional ties and exploring new areas of cooperation.
Since assuming office in 2022, Marcos Jr. has actively participated in ASEAN engagements, highlighting the Philippines’ commitment to peace, resilience and sustainable development in the region.
The Philippines will assume the ASEAN chairmanship in 2026, following Myanmar’s exclusion due to its ongoing political crisis.
The 46th ASEAN Summit and Related Meetings, which are being held under Malaysia’s 2025 chairmanship themed ‘Inclusivity and Sustainability’, are expected to address a wide range of pressing regional and international issues, with the ongoing crisis in Myanmar remaining a key point of concern for ASEAN member states.
This year marks Malaysia’s fifth time chairing the regional bloc, having previously held the ASEAN chairmanship in 1977, 1997, 2005, and 2015.
In addition to the ASEAN-level meetings, two important inter-regional summits – the 2nd ASEAN-GCC Summit and the ASEAN-GCC-China Summit – will also take place on May 26 and 27, signalling the growing engagement between Southeast Asia and its strategic partners in the Gulf and China.
