The worsening economic situation of the United States and Israel’s war against Iran will be on the agenda when Southeast Asian leaders and officials meet in the central Philippine province of Cebu.
The Philippines, which chairs the Association of Southeast Asian Nations for 2026, will host its neighbors for the 48th ASEAN Summit and Related Meetings from Wednesday, May 6, to Friday, May 8.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has said that they will focus on the global oil crisis, food security and the security of migrant workers. Marcos had also ordered the curtailment of ASEAN events during the year, including the summit in Cebu.
On this page, we bring you the latest news, photos, videos, and insights about the ASEAN Summit. For more updates and share your own views, you can also join Security and Global Affairs Rappler app chat room, available for free iOS and Android.
RECENT NEWS
The Philippines makes an opening statement at the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting
Foreign ministers or representatives of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations are meeting in Cebu on May 7, 2026. The ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting or AMM is one of several preparatory meetings before the 48th ASEAN Summit or the first time the group’s leaders meet with the Philippines as chairman.
Philippine Foreign Minister Maria Theresa Lazaro opening the AMM meeting.
The 27th ASEAN Economic Community Council meets in Cebu
Business officials from Southeast Asia are meeting in Cebu on May 7, 2026, for the first time in a series of preparatory meetings ahead of the 48th ASEAN Summit.
Marcos, Bolkiah of Brunei arrives in Cebu
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Brunei Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah are both arriving in Cebu on Wednesday, May 6, 2026, for the 48th ASEAN Summit and Related Meetings. The appropriate meeting, which will be attended by the leaders of the member countries of the union, is scheduled for Friday, May 8.
Marcos arrives in Cebu
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. arrives in Cebu on Wednesday, May 6, 2026, for the 48th ASEAN Summit and Related Meetings. He is welcomed by Cebu Governor Pamela Baricuatro and the Director General of the ASEAN 2026 National Organizing Council for Operation Ma. Hellen de la Vega.
Marcos has said that the conference, under the chairmanship of the Philippines, will focus on energy security, food security, and the security of Southeast Asians around the world.
Screenshots from the ASEAN Philippines 2026 YouTube channel
Sultan of Brunei Hassanal Bolkiah arrives in Cebu
Brunei Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah arrives in Cebu on Wednesday, May 6, 2026, for the 48th ASEAN Summit and Related Meetings. The Sultan, who has ruled Brunei since 1967, is the first Southeast Asian leader to arrive. With him is Prince Abdul Mateen, his son.
Screenshots from the ASEAN Philippines 2026 YouTube channel
Marcos: ASEAN to prioritize energy, food security, security of migrant workers
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. says in his video message on Wednesday, May 6, that energy security, food security, and the security of Southeast Asians around the world are the three main priorities on the agenda of the 48th ASEAN Summit and Related Meetings in Cebu.
Toll at the Malacca Gate? Important to avoid unnecessary trade restrictions, says DTI official
Trade Assistant Secretary Allan Gepty, in a briefing on May 6 ahead of the 48th ASEAN Summit in Cebu, says “any proposal or plan that may disrupt the flow of trade… deserves to be looked at and analyzed because it is very important to stick to the rule-based trade system.” Gepty was asked about the country’s proposal to levy a toll on the Strait of Malacca.
There is no agreement on the Myanmar elections, but participation continues
ASEAN Spokesperson Deputy Assistant Secretary Dominic Xavier Imperial of the Department of Foreign Affairs of the Philippines on Wednesday, May 6, says that although the bloc “has not reached a consensus on the recognition” of the recent elections in Myanmar, “there are ongoing discussions within the region.”
Imperial notes that the implementation of the Five-Point Agreement, ASEAN’s peace road map for Myanmar, will remain important as it is “the framework for how the region deals with Myanmar.”
