As the Philippines prepares to take on a leadership role in ASEAN, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. is steering the conversation beyond diplomacy — and toward jobs, small businesses, and public services that ordinary Filipinos actually feel.
In an inter-agency meeting in Malacañang on Monday (February 2), Marcos told his Cabinet that the country’s 2026 ASEAN chairmanship must translate into concrete economic and social gains, particularly in employment generation, support for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), and faster, more accessible digital government services.
Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said the President wants the chairship to spotlight “people-centered” priorities, with agencies aligning regional initiatives to domestic goals such as expanding livelihood opportunities and improving service delivery through technology.
The administration is also looking to use ASEAN mechanisms to support development in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, particularly through the Brunei-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA), where cross-border trade and connectivity are seen as drivers of jobs and enterprise growth.
Economic and social cluster agencies — including trade, ICT, science, and social welfare officials — presented preparations not just for summit logistics but for policy tracks tied to digitalization, innovation, and MSME development.
The message from the Palace: the chairship should not be remembered only for meetings and motorcades, but for whether it helped make it easier to do business, find work, and access government services.
A founding member of ASEAN, the Philippines will host the 48th and 49th ASEAN Summits this year under President Marcos Jr.
Officials say coordination is underway to ensure both a smooth hosting and a policy agenda that links regional cooperation more directly to domestic economic priorities.