By Darryl John Esguerra

ASEAN SUMMIT-READY. President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. arrives at the Mactan-Benito Ebuen Air Base in Cebu province on Wednesday (May 6, 2026), ahead of the 48th ASEAN Summit and Related Meetings in the province. The gathering is set to convene regional leaders to discuss stronger collaboration on economic progress, regional security, and sustainable development across Southeast Asia. (Photo courtesy of Presidential Photojournalists Association)

LAPU-LAPU CITY, Cebu – Leaders and representatives of member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have begun arriving here for the 48th ASEAN Summit and Related Meetings, as the Philippines takes center stage in regional talks increasingly shaped by economic uncertainty and the escalating Middle East crisis.

Myanmar’s Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs U Hau Khan Sum arrived in Cebu Wednesday noon, making him the first ASEAN representative to arrive for the annual regional meet.

Myanmar is the only ASEAN member state not represented by its head of government during this year’s summit.

Later in the evening, Brunei Darussalam Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah arrived at about 6:30 p.m., followed by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. who arrived at 9:14 p.m. after completing at least six official engagements in Metro Manila.

Other ASEAN leaders are expected to arrive Thursday ahead of the ASEAN Leaders’ Summit, including Timor-Leste Prime Minister Xanana Gusmão, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, Vietnamese Prime Minister Lê Minh Hưng, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, and representatives of Laos.

Marcos is also scheduled to hold a bilateral meeting with Vietnamese Prime Minister Lê Minh Hưng at the Shangri-La Mactan on Thursday afternoon.

The President will later lead the Special Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) Summit before hosting a dinner for ASEAN leaders together with First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos.

All regional leaders and representatives will convene on Friday for the ASEAN Leaders’ Meeting to be chaired by Marcos.

As chair of this year’s ASEAN Summit, Marcos said the Philippines will push discussions on energy security amid global oil supply concerns triggered by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

The Philippine government earlier recalibrated summit preparations to reduce costs, including shifting hundreds of meetings online and shortening preparatory activities, while maintaining the summit’s focus on regional cooperation, food security, energy stability, and the protection of migrant workers. (PNA)